A Different Story
by chocolatte-delight
Summary: Kakashi is assigned to watch over a certain Hyuuga heiress during her first week at the Academy. When he sees her great potential, he decides to train her. A teacher/student relationship turns into a close friendship. Can something more develop? COMPLETE
1. The Beginning

It was a normal day at the Academy. Kids were running around, yelling, doing normal kid things. That is, until a bell rang, signifying that classes had started. The little ninjas-in-training obediently went to classes, some with scowls on their faces, put out that their play time was over.

Unbeknownst to the kids, a young man had been watching them from his hiding place. The silver-haired jounin smiled at some of the more dramatic displays of disappointment from the children. _'Kids are so cute at that age.'_ he laughed to himself.

He left his hiding spot and jumped onto the roof. He walked until he found the window of the room he was looking for. He nodded at the sensei of the new class and made himself comfortable in a corner on the ceiling, masking his presence while doing so. It wouldn't do to be caught by a bunch of newbies.

A few seconds later, kids started walking in. Most had nervous expressions on their face, while some were practically jumping with joy. Kakashi noted, with a pang, that a blonde-haired chibi and an Inuzuka gaki were one of the few. The blonde looked too much like his former sensei; Kakashi forced himself to focus his attention elsewhere, deciding to look for his charge.

'_Blue-ish hair, Hyuuga eyes...' _ While mentally recalling what his charge looked like, a young girl walked in. His eyes followed her as she sat down next to the Inuzuka. _'That's got to be her. Hyuuga Hinata.'_

Kakashi observed her, noting how she looked nothing like the Hyuuga Head. Perhaps she had his chin, but other than that, nothing. _'Thank Kami for that. Hiashi's looks would not be attractive on a female.'_ Kakashi mentally laughed.

A loud sound broke Kakashi out of his thoughts. He looked over to where the commotion was. The blonde kid that reminded him so much of his sensei was yelling at a raven-haired boy. '_Probably an Uchiha,'_ Kakashi mused.

Kakashi, decidedly bored, listened in on the gaki's rant. "Oi! I asked you what your name was, politely too! Aren't you gonna introduce yourself?"

The Uchiha looked at him, a frown on his face. "No." The Uchiha then turned his face away from the blonde.

Kakashi watched with amusement as the blonde fumed. He was relieved that despite how much the blonde looked like his late sensei, their personalities were different. He didn't think that he could handle a blonde, blue-eyed kid that had the chilling and warm personality his sensei had.

Then again, they had been raised differently. If Kakashi's guess was correct, the blonde was the container of the Nine-Tails. More than likely, the kid had been treated worse than trash for something out of his control. The thought of that made him seethe; Minato-sensei had sacrificed his life to protect his village and this kid was the product of his love. The damn prejudiced villagers just would not see what the kid truly was: a hero.

A stern voice cut through his reverie. "Alright, class. Settle down," said a pony-tailed brown-haired chuunin, to no avail. "I said, SETTLE DOWN!" The rowdy class stared in awe, and somewhat fear, at the man. The man smiled at them. "You guys are now officially in training to be _ninja._"

Kakashi zoned out during the introductions and first day of ninja training lecture. He decided to use his time to study his charge. She was a quiet girl, obedient too. She had been one of the few who had turned her attention immediately to the teacher when he had walked in. He also found out she was extremely shy when she introduced herself. The girl had stuttered out her name and had blushed self-consciously while doing so. He had found that rather, _cute, _which had horrified him to no end. _'I am not a pedophile. I am not a pedophile.'_ he repeated to himself.

After that startling revelation, he pointedly ignored looking in her direction and decided to do what he had been hired to do: watch for any threats. It was rather pointless since no one would dare attempt a kidnapping at the academy which was surrounded by chuunin instructors, but Hiashi was incredibly paranoid, which led to him being hired as a protector. Thank Kami, it was for only a week at most.

During lunch, he followed her to where she sat under a tree's shade by herself eating a bento. The girl looked rather depressed as she sat there.

Kakashi felt like a total jerk just watching the girl. The girl was obviously depressed and here he was, just watching her.

Loud feminine screams interrupted his bout of self-disgust. Kakashi snapped to attention looking for the possible threat… and laughed. The snotty Uchiha kid was being chased by girls. Looking closer, Kakashi swore he could see hearts in their eyes. The Uchiha had a look of frantic terror on his face as he tried to evade the grabbing hands of the fanatic girls. _'The brat deserves it,'_ Kakashi thought to himself, a smile playing at his lips, hidden by his mask.

Soft, childish giggles erupted from his charge. The girl was _giggling_ at the Uchiha's predicament. Kakashi's smile widened; he could grow to like this kid. Their sense of humor was surprisingly similar.

Listening to her giggles made the silver-haired jounin confirm what he had been thinking of earlier. _'She's cute.'_ There was no denying the heiress's cuteness; she was cute and innocent all wrapped up in one neat little package.

'_A cute little package I'm supposed to be watching!'_ thought Kakashi, disgusted with himself.

He looked down from his perch on the tree to find that the Hyuuga heiress had vanished. Cursing, he sniffed the air, searching for the heiress's scent. He had caught her scent earlier while she was giggling; she smelled faintly of lilacs. There! He found her scent!

Kakashi followed it to find the girl behind a tree watching the blonde kid. His name was Naruto, something he had gleamed from one of the noisier kids. The heiress watched Naruto with avid fascination, somewhat similar to the faces the girls had been making to the six-year old Uchiha.

Kakashi smirked. Seems like the girl had a crush. On the supposed demon of Konoha, as well. '_I'd love to see how that plays out.'_

Kakashi stood by, observing the scene. He was disappointed when the girl made no move to approach the obviously lonely boy. He trudged back to the class room when the bell rang, ending the lunch break.

He couldn't believe that the girl hadn't even struck up a conversation. But then again, at least she wasn't like those fangirls of the Uchiha. He shivered. He'd had his own share of fangirls, all vying for his attention for his supposed 'sexiness' and aura of mystery. He snorted. Fangirls were so shallow.

Over the next few days, Kakashi could see that Hinata wasn't like that. He could honestly see that she admired Naruto's determination and loud, overconfident swagger. Naruto reflected everything she aspired to be, that much he had learned from her body language and own timid smiles as she watched the blonde gaki do the exercises they had learned from their sensei until he fainted in exhaustion.

It made Kakashi smile as he watched her try to lift the blonde gaki. He wondered if she even knew where the kid lived. _'Probably not,'_ he thought to himself.

He sighed as he stepped into the clearing where the two were sitting. The Hyuuga girl gasped as she saw him. He put up his hand in greeting. "Yo."

It was awkward, to say the least, finally coming out into the open. He had a feeling the girl had known he was there a few times from the way she had lifted her head cautiously and looked around a few times these past couple days. The ninja lectures were probably not helping either; they were most likely heightening her paranoia.

Kakashi smiled and walked towards her. He stopped when he noticed that she tightened her hold on Naruto. It made his heart feel unexpectedly warm. The girl probably didn't even notice herself doing it. If Naruto was awake, he'd probably be amazingly surprised.

Kakashi brushed aside the sudden rush of emotions. He walked up to her and said, "I'll help you take him home. I know where he lives."

"H-how do I know I c-can trust you?" she asked. Her voice surprised him. It was surprisingly full of determination, even with the stutter. It was surprising how smart academy students were these days, but he doubted that it was because of Iruka's lectures that the girl had changed from becoming a stuttering mass to a determined little girl. He looked at the blonde. _'He's got amazing potential. The girl, even more so.'_

"I don't hate the boy. Sure, he's got his annoying moments, but then again, everyone has those. So let's just say, I'm being a true shinobi of the Leaf and helping a fellow villager, ne?"

The girl looked at Kakashi doubtfully. Then her eyes lit up in recognition. "Y-you're the one that's b-been following me!"

Kakashi was shocked. How had this girl, no, academy student, known? He masked his surprise with a lazy reply. "Why do you think that?"

The girl smiled at him. "I know there's b-been someone f-following me. F-father would have it no other w-way. And then y-you just c-conveniently show up. It's k-kind of obvious, ne?"

Kakashi smiled. He really could get to like her. "Very good deductive skills, Hinata-chan. You're right, I've been following you. Hope you don't mind. Missions are missions."

"I-iie, shinobi-san. Thank you very much for watching me." Hinata bowed down low. "W-will you please h-help me carry N-Naruto-kun?"

"Naruto-kun, eh?" He smiled as Hinata's cheeks flushed red. He found that teasing her was amazingly fun. "Of course. Oh, and my name is Hatake Kakashi."

"Arigatou, Hatake-san!" Hinata smiled at him again.

"Please, just Kakashi is fine, Hinata-chan."

"H-hai, Kakashi-san."

With that, she moved to hold on to the Naruto's left arm. The weight suddenly overwhelmed her and Hinata started falling back. Kakashi's reflexes kicked in and he wrapped his arm around her small frame. She looked up at him startled. "Don't worry, Hinata-chan. I've got you."

"Arigatou."

Kakashi pulled her back up and said, "Hinata-chan, I'll carry Naruto. Why don't you gather his shuriken and kunai?" Hinata nodded and went to gather said supplies.

Kakashi picked up the blonde. He was shockingly light. _'Too light. The kid should be what, six? He's several pounds underweight!'_ Kakashi narrowed his eye. It looked like the Hokage needed to be informed of this.

"I'm done, Kakashi-san."

Kakashi turned to look at the girl. The many shuriken and kunai didn't look right in the innocent girl's hands, but Kakashi knew that she was a kunoichi in training and future Hyuuga Head, so he ignored it.

"Alright then, Hinata-chan. Follow me," said Kakashi in a cold voice.

He could feel the girl's questioning stare at his back, but he ignored that too. It was too soon to corrupt another child's innocence. Just one that did not deserve it was enough.

When they arrived at Naruto's apartment home, Kakashi could not control his killing intent for a second. The boy's apartment was in shambles. He could not see a single window that wasn't broken. The walls were covered in weeds and there was freaking _graffiti_ on the kid's walls! How low would the villagers of Konoha stoop?

He looked over to his side and saw Hinata with the most peculiar look on her face. She looked like she was about to cry from the way her shoulders were shaking but when he looked at her face, her eyes were narrowed and her lips were set into a tight line. It was an impressive sight for a six-year old girl.

Needless to say, Kakashi was shocked. The girl really would be a force to reckon with if she would just believe in herself.

"Why would people do things like this?" asked Hinata in a frightfully, tight controlled voice.

Kakashi sighed. He wished he didn't have to ruin a child's innocence, but there was no choice. "Humans are stubborn and prejudiced. They make judgments based on rumors and secondhand accounts, when in truth, they know nothing about the subject." Kakashi paused, looking down to see Hinata's reaction. She was still looking at Naruto's apartment, her small fists clenched. "People cannot forget the pain from their past so they find something to vent their anger on. It just so happens that Naruto is an open reminder of their past. It's wrong and stupid, but it's human nature."

"Th-that's so HORRIBLE! H-he's just a b-boy. Don't they know any b-better?" yelled Hinata, finally breaking into tears.

Kakashi looked at her in amazement. This Hyuuga girl was more human than all the villagers combined. It was a heart-wrenching sight, watching this girl pour her heart out for the infamous "demon of Konoha."

He decided to interrupt her crying. He coughed slightly. "Um… How about I take Naruto to my house? It's safe and… clean. You want to come, too, Hinata-chan?"

Hinata nodded and silently followed him, tears still rolling down her cheeks. Kakashi was relieved when they finally reached his apartment to see that she had stopped. It was too sad to watch when he couldn't do anything about it.

Kakashi laid Naruto down on his bed, wrapping him up in his blanket. Kakashi moved the kid's blonde hair out of his face and found he couldn't look away. This kid really did look like the Fourth… too much for it be a coincidence. Knowing the Fourth, he wouldn't seal the Nine-Tails into any kid… so who was this blonde kid the Fourth had so conveniently found as a newborn?

Kakashi's sudden insight made him take a step back. _'This kid…is the Fourth's son?! But the Third told me that Kushina-san and the unborn baby died in the attack! I'll need to have a talk with him.' _ Kakashi's mind was reeling from his new theory.

His epiphany was interrupted, however, when Hinata's voice broke it. "Kakashi-san… Are you a-alright? Y-you suddenly took a st-step back. You look p-pale as well…"

Kakashi struggled to come up with an excuse. "Oh, Hinata-chan… Naruto reminded me of someone I knew, that's all, haha…" He trailed off, hoping she would buy that sorry excuse.

"Who does Naruto-kun remind y-you of, Kakashi-san, if you d-don't mind m-me asking?" asked Hinata.

Kakashi stiffened at her question, then decided to tell her the truth. She deserved that much, at least. "He reminded me of the Fourth Hokage. They both have blonde hair and blue eyes."

To Kakashi's surprise, Hinata laughed. "Oh, n-now that you m-mention it, they do look alike, don't they?"

Kakashi looked at the girl curiously. "You've seen a picture of the Fourth?"

"Oh, n-no. I love looking at the Hokage Monument. I've always thought Naruto-kun and the Fourth Hokage had similar facial structures. Now that y-you've told me about them sharing b-blonde hair and b-blue eyes…" At this, the girl blushed, much to Kakashi's amusement. "it just confirms it." Hinata looked at Naruto closely after saying this. "Th-they could be… related… amazingly so…" Hinata gasped and looked at the Hokage Monument from Kakashi's window, which it had an amazing view of it, and looked back at the sleeping blonde. "Kakashi-san! Don't y-you think… that they actually c-could be related? P-possibly even f-father and s-son!"

To say Kakashi was shocked would be a severe understatement. This girl, no, _academy student,_ had deduced what he had just minutes ago with the most basic of information. He himself, had had a close relationship with the Fourth Hokage and he had just now come to that conclusion. If this girl was this good at this age, then she had amazing potential. What he would give to be able to teach her. The girl would definitely benefit under his tutelage. Kakashi sighed. It wasn't possible. This girl was a Hyuuga, the heiress, no less. He would have to settle with hopefully becoming her jounin instructor later on. That would be good enough.

A soft, trembling voice broke through his thoughts, _again._ '_I really have to stop losing myself in my thoughts. It's becoming a bad habit.'_ "Ah, g-gomen, Kakashi-san. Th-that was stupid of m-me… how c-could they p-possibly be related…"

"NO!" Kakashi coughed. He hadn't meant to be that loud. "I mean, no, Hinata-chan, you were very astute in your observation. Don't bring yourself down so easily. I was just lost in my thoughts for a bit. I really want to train you, haha…" He smiled at Hinata's wide-eyed stare. She looked like she didn't know whether to smile or cry. He was glad she chose the former.

Kakashi continued on. "Actually, while looking at Naruto, I realized that he looked too similar to the Fourth for it to be just a coincidence. I knew the Fourth personally; he was my jounin instructor before he became the Hokage." His smile widened at Hinata's surprised face. "They look way too alike to not even be related. Plus, you don't see many blonde-haired villagers in Konoha. So you see, it was amazing that you would deduce what I had with even less information than I had. You have amazing potential, Hinata-chan."

It was worth the long speech to see the girl's face. He could see her many emotions flickering across her face. It was amusing. Shock, pride, confusion, happiness were all reflected in her lavender eyes. Kakashi found he couldn't look away. They were such a beautiful sight on her face, no matter that he had seen the Hyuuga eyes many times during missions with them. _'Naruto's a lucky guy. Hopefully he sees that before he loses his chance with her.' _

Finally, Hinata decided which emotion to feed from. Happiness. Her face lit up and shone. Kakashi seriously wished that he had a camera so he could keep the moment in his mind forever. Not that he was forgetting the heiress's expression any time soon.

"Arigatou, Kakashi-san! No one's ever said that about me!" said Hinata.

"No problem, Hinata-chan. I'm glad that you're not stuttering around me anymore." Kakashi almost started laughing at the way she scrunched up her nose when she realized she hadn't stuttered.

"That's… Oh! I just feel really comfortable around you. You are a very nice person, Kakashi-san." She smiled beatifically at him, making the silver-haired jounin blush. It was oddly flattering to receive a compliment from a young kid. He had been thrown insults by so many of the brats when he criticized their training. It was a nice change.

"Ah, well, I should escort you home, Hinata-chan." He frowned at how her face fell. What was it with clan's exerting so much pressure on heirs and heiresses? "Sorry, Hinata-chan. Maybe tomorrow you can come by to check up on Naruto, ne?" The girl's face lit up and then automatically blushed. Kakashi loved seeing the emotions play across her face.

With one last look at Naruto, Hinata nodded and the two were on their way to the Hyuuga Compound.

Hinata looked so forlorn at the thought of being home that Kakashi felt he had to say something. "Hinata. Umm… You're welcome at my house anytime, just so you know. Should you ever need a place to stay, my apartment is always open."

At the look on Hinata's face, Kakashi felt glad that he had offered to give up his privacy to the girl. At least she knew she had a place to run to. He knew somewhat of the pressures of being the next head of the clan, having talked a bit to Uchiha Itachi.

With one last wave to Hinata, he left, heading home. He decided to pick up some ramen packages for Naruto, should he wake up. He hoped to Kami that the kid didn't get messy when he realized he wasn't at his house.

That thought in mind, his thoughts wandered off to the peculiar heiress of the Hyuuga clan. She was going to be strong, he knew it.

* * *

To clear something up, Kakashi is NOT a pedophile, only a pervert. He's wouldn't go after young girls! Probably... hahaha j/k.

Oh and this is going to be a KakaHina story, not a NaruHina one. I was going to add in bits of NaruHina, but no, it's too hard to add in romance with those two. It's going to be tough developing Kakashi and Hinata's relationship, so I don't really want to add in complications. There might be some crushes, though, from the other Rookie Nine to make some competition, but that's about it. 


	2. Training

It was a beautiful morning. The sun was shining, birds were chirping… Well, they were until a kunai whizzed by, scattering them. The birds moved to another perch, twittering snootily.

A silver-haired jounin groaned, shifting slightly only for the sun's rays to hit him right in the eyes. _'Damn it. Those birds are getting better at dodging.'_

A few minutes later, the jounin was ready to go. He slipped on his sandals and jumped out his window. He found the actions of opening and locking his door to be too bothersome, so he ignored it completely in favor of the window's easy access.

Kakashi began the familiar trek to the memorial stone, sniffing appreciatively at the smells wafting from nearby vendors.

When Kakashi reached the memorial stone, his earlier cheeriness dissipated, leaving a solemn atmosphere.

Memories flooded him, the force of them almost bringing him to his knees. Kakashi sighed and began his "talks" with his dead teammate.

"How are you, Obito? It must be relaxing to be dead, huh? You don't have to worry about nins coming for you, all intent on ending your life, all for the price on your head." Kakashi winced, remembering his last mission. It had been a success, but he had been ambushed by some bounty hunters.

"I'm sure you're laughing at me, Obito. You always liked seeing me in troublesome situations. Do you remember when I was being chased by fangirls? You had just laughed at me, telling me that's what I get. I remember plotting your death, while avoiding the extra sharp "love letters" from the kunoichi. What I would give to have you here with me, laughing next to me."

Kakashi sighed, feeling a familiar wave of regret and guilt wash over him. He missed his dead teammate so much; he hated that he hadn't realized the prize of their friendship when Obito had been alive. It would've hurt so much less without the regret he felt.

A rustle of leaves in a bush a couple feet away interrupted him. He threw a kunai at the sound, making sure to miss the mark. He didn't want to kill a fellow villager.

Kakashi heard a startled "Eep!" from the bushes. He narrowed his eyes. It sounded faintly familiar.

A small, trembling figure rolled out of the bush. It was a blue-haired girl who looked to be about nine or so. She was wearing a pretty thick coat considering the current weather.

Kakashi was shocked. A nine year old girl had crept up on him without him knowing until she was just a few feet away. It was a remarkable feat, even if he had been distracted. Hinata never stopped amazing him.

"Sorry, Hinata. I'm a bit paranoid these days. Haha…" Kakashi scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

The girl looked up at him, fear and awe in her pearly Hyuuga eyes. "I should be sorry, Kakashi-san. I hadn't meant to sneak up on you. I was just looking for the training grounds near here," said Hinata in her soft voice.

Kakashi was stunned again. This girl's intention hadn't even been to sneak up on him, yet he hadn't sensed her presence _at all _until she had been a few feet away. He was one of the best in sensing presences; his guard was hardly, if ever, let down, and here was a little girl, only three years into the academy, catching him off guard.

Kakashi stared openly at the girl, making her fidget under his gaze. "Ano… Kakashi-san?"

Kakashi snapped out of it and grinned awkwardly. "Ahaha… Hinata-chan, you really are amazing. I didn't even sense your presence until I heard you in the bushes."

Hinata beamed at him. "Arigatou, Kakashi-san. Iruka-sensei said that a good ninja is always stealthy. I've been working on masking my footfalls for years now, as the Hyuuga heiress. I'm just now working on hiding my chakra signature."

"Well, you've really got stealth down, Hinata-chan. You were able to sneak up on me, a jounin, former ANBU, when you weren't even trying. That's an impressive feat, Hinata-chan." He smiled at her, his uncovered eye forming an arch.

"Arigatou!" Hinata bowed low, smiling back.

The two stood there for a few moments, just thinking and enjoying each other's presence. Kakashi felt oddly peaceful. It was a feeling he was starting to associate with the heiress. Whenever he was near her, he would feel an inexplicable feeling of peace. It was a drastic change from the hectic lifestyle of a shinobi.

Kakashi looked at the girl, suddenly remembering what she had said earlier. "Hinata-chan. You said something about training?"

Hinata looked up at Kakashi, startled. "O-oh, yes. I wanted to work on my chakra control and shuriken throwing."

Kakashi contemplated this. "Do you want any help? I'm sure I could give you some helpful tips."

Hinata looked thoughtful for a few seconds. Then the girl nodded and said, "If it wouldn't bother you, Kakashi-san."

"It wouldn't be a bother at all. I've wanted to train you for awhile now anyways," said Kakashi.

The two walked to the nearby training grounds. Kakashi looked at Hinata curiously. "You said you wanted to work on shuriken throwing and chakra control, right?" Hinata nodded slowly. "How were you going to do that?"

The girl blushed. "I-I actually hadn't thought of that… I guess I was just going to practice throwing the shuriken while moving… And I supposed I could practice my clan's style." Hinata looked at Kakashi, apprehensively. "Do you know of the Hyuuga style, Kakashi-san?"

Kakashi thought back a bit to his times working with a Hyuuga. "Jyuuken, right?" Hinata nodded. "Yeah, I've seen the style in work. The Hyuuga expel chakra from their hands or fingertips to do damage to a person's internal organs, right?"

Hinata nodded and replied, "Yes, that's true. But Hyuuga can expel chakra from any point from their body. The Hyuuga can also do damage to a person's chakra circulatory system and close down all their tenketsu, or chakra openings. It takes a more developed Byakugan to see the tenketsu, though." Hinata looked like she was reciting this from a scroll she had memorized or something. _'She probably is,'_ thought Kakashi, amusedly.

The girl looked down at her shoes. "I-I actually can't see the tenketsu. My Byakugan isn't very g-good…"

Kakashi looked at her, alarmed. "Hinata, you are very far along in your ninja-training, far more than is to be expected from an academy student. You are still young, so you have plenty of time to develop your clan's bloodline."

Hinata nodded, but Kakashi could see that the girl didn't really believe what he was saying. He sighed. "How about we work on your chakra control first, Hinata-chan? It should help in developing your Byakugan."

"Hai, Kakashi-san."

"Ok, try doing this exercise. Climb this tree." The girl looked up with a puzzled expression on her face. Kakashi grinned. "Here's the catch: you can't use your hands."

Kakashi almost broke into laughter at the girl's distraught expression on her face. He really had too much fun messing with the girl.

"Here, I'll demonstrate." Kakashi gathered the chakra into his feet and started climbing the tree. When he reached halfway up the trunk, he looked down to see Hinata's face. He was pleasantly surprised when he found that she had turned on her Byakugan to observe his chakra pathways. She caught on quickly.

"So do you get the point of this exercise now, Hinata-chan?" asked Kakashi, already knowing the answer.

"Hai, I get it now, Kakashi-san. To climb the tree, I have to gather chakra to the soles of my feet. The hard part will be to figure out how much chakra I should gather."

Kakashi nodded. "So, how about you give it a try."

"Ok, Kakashi-san."

Kakashi watched the girl's first attempt at tree-climbing. The girl had pretty good chakra control, judging from the way she had already made it a fourth of the way. Suddenly, she slipped and started falling backward.

Fortunately, Kakashi had expected this and jumped from his perch on the tree and grabbed her in his arms. He set her down gently and said, "You have good chakra control. It's probably due to your Hyuuga styles being ingrained into you."

"B-but, Kakashi-san, I didn't even get halfway up the tree." Hinata looked close to tears.

Kakashi spoke quickly, not knowing how to deal with a crying child. "You did very well for a first-timer. Most genin don't even stick to the tree their first try. So you should be proud of yourself. Now we just need to work on your endurance, ok?"

He was relieved when her eyes dried up and she sniffed. "Thank you so much, Kakashi-san!"

The rest of the day was spent on the girl pushing herself and building up her endurance. To mark how far she got, she used a kunai Kakashi had given her.

Kakashi was impressed with her. She was almost to the top and she hadn't complained once. She was slowly, but steadily working up her endurance and chakra control. The girl wasn't a prodigy, but she knew how to work hard and that's what counted the most.

When Hinata finally reached the top, the sun was already starting to set. The girl looked exhausted; there was sweat rolling down her face, her jacket long forgone in the scorching heat, but she had a satisfied look on her face when she walked down to the bottom.

Kakashi was surprised when the girl bowed down low to him. "Arigatou, Kakashi-sensei. Thank you for taking your time to help me with my training. I'm sure I benefited a lot from you teaching me." She bowed down again with a cute blush on her cheeks.

"Sensei, eh?" He smirked when the girl's blush deepened. "I think I like that. You are very welcome, Hinata-chan. Now, how about I get you some dinner? I'm sure you're famished?" At this, Hinata's stomach grumbled, making Hinata's face look like a tomato on fire.

Kakashi couldn't help it—he burst out laughing. He laughed even harder at the girl's horrified expression. It was too much; she was too cute. He patted her on her head and started walking to the village, laughing occasionally.

By the time they reached their destination, Ichiraku Ramen, Hinata's horrified face had turned into a cute little pout. Kakashi's lips were upturned and his eye was crinkling with mirth at her expression.

"So, what would you like, Hinata-chan?" asked Kakashi, warmly.

The girl looked at the menu, deciding on miso ramen. Kakashi got himself a pork ramen. While the two were waiting for their meal, Kakashi decided to start a conversation with the adorable girl.

"How come you never came back to my apartment? I did tell you, you were welcome any time."

The girl stiffened at his question, then sighed, blushing cutely at the same time. "I forgot where you lived," she said in a small voice.

The girl's unexpected reason made the jounin laugh loudly. "I didn't think th-that would be why of all r-reasons, hahah!"

Hinata pouted again, much to Kakashi's amusement. She replied with a short sigh. "I knew you were going to laugh, Kakashi-sensei."

"You're so cute, Hinata-chan." Kakashi watched with satisfaction as the girl blushed. A sudden thought occurred to him. "So, Hinata-chan, how's it going with 'Naruto-kun'?"

The girl blushed at the mention of his name and then looked off to the side with a depressed air around her. Kakashi looked at her curiously, deciding to wait until she felt like talking.

It was only after they were halfway into their bowls of ramen that the girl spoke up. "I actually… haven't gotten a chance to talk to N-Naruto-kun." She sighed. "I really want to tell him of our theory of the Fourth Hokage being his father, but it's just hard to…" The girl trailed off, looking at Kakashi.

Kakashi stared into his ramen bowl and decided to give it a moment before he replied back. "Hinata… Actually, I talked to the Third. He refused to give me any information. Judging from his reaction, I'm going to believe that the Fourth really is Naruto's father. However, I think that it probably wouldn't be safe for Naruto to know who his father is, at least not yet." He looked up at Hinata and saw that her mouth was open to ask why. Kakashi hurriedly pushed on. "My sensei had a lot of enemies. Many of them would not hesitate to kill a boy that was rumored to be his son, hoping to end his legacy. So you see, Naruto would be safer without that knowledge, at least until he is strong enough."

He was relieved when Hinata nodded and said, "That makes sense, Kakashi-sensei. I'll make sure not to tell anyone." She smiled at Kakashi and said something that stunned him. "I'll become strong enough that when I do tell him, I'll be able to protect him with my life."

The two were silent for a few minutes, each taking in her strong promise. Kakashi was utterly shocked. _'I didn't think she was this devoted to him… It's a nice surprise.'_

Kakashi smiled at the girl. "I'll help you keep that promise, Hinata. Why don't we meet up every once in awhile at the same training grounds and I'll help train you?"

The girl contemplated his offer and then finally nodded. "That would be nice, Kakashi-sensei."

"I won't be able to help you very often, though. My skills as a shinobi are often needed on missions. As I've yet to take a genin team, I am hardly ever in Konoha." He watched as Hinata nodded in understanding. "So, how about you go to the memorial stone once every two weeks? If I'm not there, then you should just continue on with whatever you are learning in the academy and what your clan is teaching you. If I am there, then I will gladly help you with whatever you need help with. How's that, Hinata-chan?"

"Thank you very much. I'm glad that you are taking your time to help me, Kakashi-sensei!" The girl pushed back her empty ramen bowl, stood up, and bowed low to Kakashi.

"I'm glad I can help." Kakashi smiled at her. He turned to the ramen stall owner and paid him for the meal and turned back to Hinata. "Do you want me to escort you home?"

Hinata shook her head. "It's ok, Kakashi-sensei. The Hyuuga compound's not too far from here and I wouldn't want to trouble you more. Thank you for your help with my chakra control training. Perhaps next time you can give me tips on my shuriken throwing?"

Kakashi nodded, smiling slightly. He was glad that the girl was starting to show initiative. Maybe then, her hidden potential would shine through.

"Alright then, good bye, Kakashi-sensei." She bowed again and smiled at Kakashi, then walked home.

Kakashi could not repress the growing smile on his lips. He was sure that this girl was going to become an important asset to the village, especially if she kept going at this rate. He was glad that he had the privilege of being one of her instructors.

* * *

Alright! Second chapter up!

Please review to tell me what you guys think. Oh and I have a question... How old is Hinata? I looked at Naruto Wiki and it said that in Part II, Hinata's 16, while Naruto is listed as 15-16. So does that mean that Hinata is older than the Rookie 9? I was just wondering becaues it would make it a lot easier to develop the relationship between Kakashi and her if she was actually older than the other Rookie 9.


	3. Genin and Jounin

I realized that I forgot to do something in my earlier chapters. Haha. **Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto or any of the characters.

Oh, and thanks for everyone's reviews. To those who answered my question, thanks! They were very helpful. I am, however, still debating between whether or not to make Hinata a bit older than the Rookie 9. Like **Santeira** said, it's the age gap and how they work with it that make the couple so great.

So, what do you guys think? Should I make Hinata the first to turn 16 in the Rookie Nine, or should I just leave her as the youngest of the bunch?

* * *

_She was surrounded by darkness. She could not feel a single soul around her and it scared her. Suddenly, hands started grabbing at her. They reached for her short blue hair and wrapped their chillingly cold fingers around her neck as if to choke her. _

_Her breaths came out in pants and tears started at her eyes. She started to hear voices, bitter and familiar, putting her down. _

"_You are weak, Hinata…" _

"_You will never amount to anything…" _

_The utter coldness that she felt upon hearing those words were cutting through her defenses. She tried to yell, shout, deny, what the voices were saying, but she still felt the chill of their words in her chest. _

_She managed to choke out a "STOP!" The voices started changing and it became even more horrifying. _

_She saw a familiar silver head look down at her, his usual sleepy eye looking menacing. "I never did see potential in you! I trained you out of pity!"_

_A blonde-haired boy looked at her and sneered. "You, Hinata? Why would I ever like you? You're weak and pathetic! All I need is Sakura-chan. You're just plain and ugly!"_

_The tears that she had held back started falling in full force. She now felt ice cold; she could not feel any warmth. It was all too much._

_She started to sob, feeling hopelessness surround her. Suddenly, the silver-haired man turned to her and raised his hand as if to hit her. She closed her eyes, waiting for his strike. When she felt nothing, she opened her eyes and gasped. The man had hit the blonde. _

_His old words came back to her. "You have amazing potential, Hinata-chan." _

"_I really want to train you." _

"_You really are amazing."_

_Her tears started flowing down again. "Arigatou, Kakashi-sensei! Arigatou… Arigatou… _

"Arigatou…" mumbled Hinata. She gasped and jumped up. She was in her bed and the sun was shining through her window.

She looked down to see that her blanket had fallen to the floor. "It was only a dream…" The coldness was because she hadn't had her blanket. "Thank goodness."

Hinata smiled fondly. Even in her dreams, Kakashi-sensei was there for her. She reached up to rub her sleepy eyes. To her surprise, her eyes were wet. _'Oh… I was crying in my sleep._' Hinata laughed uncertainly.

A loud noise made her jump. Her alarm clock had rang, signaling that she needed to get ready. _'Oh! I don't want to be late for my genin team placement!_' thought Hinata as she frantically went about getting ready.

Hinata grabbed an apple before running out the door. Before turning the corner, she looked back at the compound. She would now be helping to serve her village as a proud kunoichi rather than being the pathetic heiress of the Hyuuga clan. The thought of that made her smile.

On the way to the academy, Hinata thought back to her dream. It had struck a nerve in her, hearing Naruto-kun and Kakashi-sensei put her down. But then she had been reminded of Kakashi-sensei's kind words in the past. It was encouraging, having an elite jounin believe in her, the weak and timid heiress. She smiled at the thought of Kakashi-sensei and pushed the unpleasant dream to the back of her mind.

Upon reaching the academy, Hinata remembered that Naruto-kun hadn't passed. Her cheery mood vanished and left her feeling gloomy. Naruto-kun had deserved being a genin even more than she had. He had so much more to prove than she, the weak heiress.

Hinata frowned. She doubted that she would have passed if not for Kakashi-sensei's teaching. Kakashi-sensei had helped her with her chakra control until it was almost perfect. She could pull of her bunshin and henge perfectly thanks to his training. He had also imparted her with a few water jutsu, which she was glad of. Practicing those jutsu day in and out had helped her chakra reserves immensely.

She hadn't seen him much over the past three years, but the few times that they had met, he had trained her until she felt like she had mastered whatever he was teaching her. He had helped her with her self-confidence as well. Even her father had noticed the change in her, although he would not admit it since she still would not lay a finger on Hanabi-chan.

Hinata sighed. She shouldn't think of such depressing thoughts before she met her genin team.

Hinata sat down next to Shino, a quiet boy who hid his eyes. She murmured a soft "Good morning, Shino-kun" to him and turned her attention to the board.

Loud voices could be heard from the doorway and Hinata turned to look. _'Oh, it's just Sakura-san and Ino-san arguing.'_ She turned back and noticed something strange. Naruto-kun was _here_, which meant he had passed! And… and he was looking at her?

Her joy was trampled on when he heard her greet Sakura-san. That brought back memories of her dream. She sighed. She didn't have a chance with Naruto-kun as long as he liked Sakura-san. She put her head down and closed her eyes.

She suddenly heard loud screams from somewhere below. She looked up and was surprised to see the top of the class, Sasuke, and Naruto-kun… kissing. Hinata blushed and looked away. When she finally turned her attention back to him, she gasped. Naruto-kun was covered in bruises and cuts.

'_I guess the fangirls got him. Kakashi-sensei would have loved to see that.' _ Hinata giggled softly at the thought. She could see the silver-haired jounin pout at missing such a huge scene, especially since Naruto-kun was involved.

* * *

Across town at the memorial stone, Kakashi sneezed. He blamed the changing seasons and looked down at the stone.

He had learned a couple of days ago who his team would consist of. It was disheartening to learn that he wouldn't get Hinata-chan on his team. He really had wanted her on his team. Kakashi sighed.

'_Oh well… At least, this way, no one on the team will know me. Well, besides Naruto, but I doubt he remembers me.' _ Memories of how his bed had been utterly destroyed and how his precious window had sustained a huge hole came to him. _'Now I can get revenge…'_ Kakashi chuckled sadistically.

* * *

"I am your jounin instructor: Yuuhi Kurenai. I expect you three to respect me and my decisions and I shall respect you." The black-haired woman looked at the three genin sternly. They all nodded back slowly. "Now, how about we begin with introductions? Tell us your likes and dislikes, your dreams for the futures and your hobbies. You first, the one with the dog."

Hinata looked at said boy. He had brown hair and red tattoo markings on his cheeks. A cute dog was at his side. Hinata had to resist the urge to pet it; it was so adorable!

"My name is Inuzuka Kiba. This is Akamaru," he said while lifting the dog. "I like training with Akamaru and beef jerky. I dislike people who disrespect my clan and our dogs. My dream is to become a great shinobi with Akamaru. My hobbies are running and training." He finished off with a wolfish grin.

"My name is Aburame Shino. My likes are people who respect my clan and I dislike those who don't. My dream is to find a new species that will help benefit my clan's interests. My hobbies consist of tending to my bug colony and improving their abilities."

The red-eyed jounin nodded to Hinata next. Hinata breathed in. "M-my name is Hyuuga Hinata. I l-like… training and learning new things. I dislike m-mean people, I guess. My dream is to always keep my promises and b-bring honor to my clan. My hobbies are f-flower pressing and honing my skills." Hinata breathed out shakily. Her self-confidence had increased, but she still had trouble talking to people she didn't know very well.

The jounin nodded. "Alright then. Meet here tomorrow morning at 8 am sharp! We have extra training ahead of us." With that, Kurenai-sensei jumped up and left, leaving the three genin to themselves.

They looked at each other hesitantly. Hinata blushed when she realized she was under Kiba's gaze.

Hinata decided to break the uncomfortable silence. "Ano… I guess… I'll see you three tomorrow?" She was relieved when they both nodded in agreement.

She, however, wasn't prepared for Kiba-kun's strange grin when he looked at her. "Hey, you! Normally, people don't count Akamaru as another coherent being. Thanks a bunch, Hinata!" She smiled back at him, tentatively. "Alright, then! See you two tomorrow! Say bye, Akamaru!" The cute dog 'woofed' and the two left.

Hinata looked at Shino and bowed. "Good bye, Shino-kun. I look forward to tomorrow."

"I do, too, Hinata-san. Good bye."

Hinata left their meeting place with a happy air. She was glad that she was getting along with all three of her teammates. They never really talked to each other in the academy, but she decided that she really liked them. She wouldn't let them down!

* * *

_Thunk!_

Kakashi looked up. A chalkboard eraser had hit him. He rolled his eyes and looked at the three genin-hopefuls.

"My first impressions of you three are… I hate you!"

Kakashi almost laughed at their expressions. Kids were so much fun to mess with. He thought fondly of Hinata-chan. Her reactions were always so amusing.

After they got settled at their spots, Kakashi took a good look at his 'team.' _'I've never seen pink hair on a person before… hmm… Naruto looks like sensei even more now… Ahh, the sole Uchiha survivor…'_

After silently appraising his team, he decided to get the introductions over with. "Alright, then. Let's start with introductions."

He was rudely interrupted by the blonde. "What do you want us to say?"

"Ahh… How about our likes and dislikes, our dreams for the futures and things like that?"

Naruto decided to speak up again. "Why don't you go first?"

The pink-haired girl nodded. "Yeah… you look kinda suspicious…"

Kakashi mentally cringed. What was it with kids with no manners? At least Hinata-chan never purposely insulted him.

"My name is Hatake Kakashi. I don't feel like telling you my likes and dislikes. Dreams for the future… hmm… Ah, I have many hobbies. Ok, you next." He pointed to the blonde.

He grinned as he watched the blonde and pinky whisper about his intro. Like, he was going to tell them his life story. There were few he trusted, and even fewer who knew his whole past. _'I wonder which category Hinata-chan would be in,'_ he thought.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto! What I like is cup ramen! What I like even more is the ramen Iruka-sensei buys for me! What I dislike is the three minutes it takes to cook ramen." _'Does he only think about ramen?'_ thought Kakashi incredulously. "And my dream is to… SURPASS THE HOKAGE and have the villagers acknowledge my existence!" _'I see that he's grown in an interesting way.' _ "And my hobbies… I guess, pranks."

Kakashi nodded and then pointed to the Uchiha. "My name is Uchiha Sasuke. There are not many things I like and I don't really like anything. And… I can't really call it a dream. But I have an ambition of resurrecting my clan and… to kill a certain man." Kakashi's eye narrowed. _'Like I thought.' _

The girl went next. "My name is Haruno Sakura. The thing I like is… Well, the person I like is… And umm.. my dream for the future… um… OH YEAHH!" Kakashi stared at her. _'How… odd…'_ What I dislike… NARUTO. And my hobbies…" _'I guess girls this age are more interested in love than ninjutsu. Thank goodness Hinata-chan deals with it better than her.'_ Kakashi inwardly shivered at the thought of Hinata fangirling after Naruto. _'What a scary thought…'_

Kakashi cleared his throat. "Ok, tomorrow we start our duties as shinobi."

Naruto perked up. "Duties? What kind of duties!? Ne, ne!"

"We're doing SURVIVAL TRAINING. This is no ordinary training—this time I'm your opponent." Kakashi laughed at the blonde's clueless expression. He could feel the stares of the three and decided to elaborate. "I'll tell you this: you're going to freak out. Actually, out of the twenty-seven graduates, only nine will become genin. The rest will be sent back to the academy."

As Kakashi expected, the three's faces were priceless. He laughed "Haha, I told you you'd freak out. Anyways, meet me at the training grounds tomorrow. You guys have to show all the skills you have. Bring any shinobi tools you like. Oh, and don't eat breakfast tomorrow, you'll throw up."

With that said, Kakashi jumped off and left the three. Ahh, he so loved the theatrics.

* * *

Hinata smiled cheerfully. The village was so beautiful at this time of the day. She looked at the Hokage Monument, her eyes on the Fourth Hokage's face. She sighed. _'Naruto-kun really does look like the Yondaime.' _

Hinata was slightly disappointed that she couldn't tell Naruto-kun about her and Kakashi-sensei's theory. If they were right, then Naruto-kun would be spared not knowing who his father was. _'But then again, sometimes a person's better off not knowing who their father is. Such as you…' _Hinata squashed that thought unmercifully.

She didn't hate her father. No, she actually loved him, but she knew that he would never acknowledge her as the true heiress. Even if she had improved a lot, her father refused to see her progress since she always "lost" to Hanabi-chan in spars.

Hinata knew that she could easily take down Hanabi with a few well-placed jabs to her tenketsu, but she chose not to. She just evaded Hanabi's more critical attacks and allowed her to hit her. Hinata knew that if she ever beat Hanabi, the girl would be scorned and she would most likely be branded with the Branch House Seal, especially at her age. Hanabi-chan was still young enough that the seal would not kill her outright.

Hinata knew that if she waited a few more years, then Hanabi would avoid the Cursed Seal for life. Hinata could live with that. Just a few more years of scorn and contempt and Hanabi would be safe from the Cursed Seal.

_Thwack!_

Hinata rubbed her head sorely and bowed low. "I'm so sorry for running into you! Please forgive my rudeness."

She looked up hesitantly and was met with a low chuckle. Hinata looked up and sighed in relief. It was just Kakashi-sensei.

"Sorry, Kakashi-sensei. I was lost in my thoughts."

Hinata smiled as Kakashi-sensei snapped his book shut. "I was too, don't worry, Hinata-chan."

"Hai, I know how much you love that orange book of yours."

The two smiled at each other and continued walking side by side. They both enjoyed the silent, but comfortable atmosphere being around each other provided.

Hinata was surprised when Kakashi-sensei decided to break the silence. "So, Hinata-chan, how's your team?"

Hinata looked up at the darkening sky thoughtfully. "They're nice. I think we'll get along together great." She looked at Kakashi-sensei curiously. "How's your team? Who did you get?"

To Hinata's surprise, Kakashi-sensei grinned. "Ahh… Those three will most likely not get along at all." His grin widened. "I mean, when you have the Uchiha Sasuke, a fangirl, and Uzumaki Naruto together, there's bound to be chaos."

Hinata blushed, stuttering out a, "Eh, N-Naruto-kun? He's on your t-team?"

Kakashi-sensei laughed as Hinata expected. The man loved to tease her about her crush. "Yup. Looks like I'm going to have my hands full."

Hinata looked at Kakashi-sensei with amusement in her eyes, a blush still adorning her pale cheeks. "Good luck, Kakashi-sensei."

"Good luck to you too, Hinata-chan. Well, I better be off. I don't want to be _too_ late to the meeting." With a cheeky grin and a lazy wave of his hands, he left, leaving a cloud of smoke and leaves behind.

Hinata sighed, a hint of a smile on her face. She knew that _that_ was a total lie. Kakashi-sensei was always late by a few hours. If she had been on his team, she wouldn't have wakened up until ten the next morning.

Hinata hastened her pace as she realized that no, she was not on Kakashi-sensei's team and had to meet her sensei at eight AM sharp!

* * *

Alright! Next up: Land of the Waves Arc


	4. A C Rank Mission

Thank you guys for your reviews and input!

I'm just going to use Hinata's real age in this fic. You guys are right, it makes the fic much more interesting.

Oh, and to yue. san, I guess that's true. I realize that Kakashi never really called Hinata 'Hinata-chan' in the manga, but in my fic, he calls her chan because he still thinks of her as a kid. Imagine when he starts seeing her as a woman and leaves out all suffixes... Haha, I bet that would bring a blush to Hinata's cheeks. But I also realize that all the chan's can get kind of repetitive, so I'll leave out most of them in their thoughts.

Well, enjoy!

* * *

Kakashi watched with sadistic amusement as the devil-cat was held in a death grip by its owner. _'Serves the damn cat right.'_ Kakashi honestly thought that this cat was worse than the birds that dutifully chirped at his window every morning.

This was their third mission chasing after the damn thing. It was starting to get irritating. About the only good thing about the mission was the whole teamwork thing. He was glad to see that the three genin were bonding with their annoyance towards the cat. He himself was feeling positively warm towards the three seeing their shared hatred.

"Damn cat," muttered Naruto. Kakashi smiled. His sentiments exactly. "Ne, Kakashi-sensei, when will we get to do higher ranked missions? We're genin; we shouldn't have to do people's chores!"

"Ahh, but Naruto, this is what it means to be a genin. D-Rank missions galore! It's to build your teamwork and get to know the village more." This was all lies, of course, but they didn't have to know that. Kakashi was glad that shut Naruto up for a bit.

When they reached the mission room, the Hokage smiled at the trio plus jounin. "Well, we do have more D-ranked missions. How about it, Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura?"

Even, with his earlier speech, Kakashi was slightly relieved when the blonde burst. "CAN'T WE DO SOMETHING OTHER THAN D-RANKED MISSIONS!? COME ON, OLD MAN!"

Kakashi's lips twitched. He forced down the smile that threatened to overtake his face. He'd never met anyone who showed such blatant disrespect to the Hokage. He was even more amused when he realized the Third was used to it, judging from his casual puff of his pipe.

"Well, since you asked so nicely," started the Hokage sarcastically. "We actually do have a C-ranked mission." The Third paused during Naruto's victory dance. "However, this will be a joint mission with another team." The Third looked at the door. "Come in, Team Eight!"

Kakashi was stunned when in walked Kurenai, a new jounin he knew vaguely, and Hinata, followed by a dark-haired boy with sunglasses. He was thrilled with doing a mission with Hinata. _'Now I can observe how she's progressed so far,'_ thought Kakashi.

Kakashi turned his attention to the Third when he realized he was talking again. "Where's your third teammate?"

To Kakashi's surprise, it was Hinata who answered. "Kiba-kun has umm…" The girl blushed when she realized she had everyone's attention. Her blush deepened when she saw Naruto. Kakashi forced back the smile that was threatening his lips. "He has food poisoning," she said in a small voice.

The Hokage nodded solemnly. "Do you three wish to take the mission without your fourth teammate?"

Kurenai nodded. The boy with the sunglasses spoke up. "Kiba would be angry should we turn down a C-ranked mission because of him. The best decision would be to take this mission."

The Hokage chuckled. "You must know your teammate very well, Shino. That is good." The wise man turned his attention to another door. "You may come in, Tazuna-san."

Everyone in the room turned to see the door open. An older man walked in. The man smelled strongly of sake and sweat. He watched Kurenai flare her nose slightly.

Tazuna looked at the seven blearily. "Eh, I get a bunch of kids to guard me? You sure they're capable? The blonde shortie looks like he's constipated."

To Kakashi's amusement, Naruto laughed and looked around the room, probably looking for the "blonde shortie." It was only when he realized that he was who the man was referring to that he scowled. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hinata blush in an exasperated sort of way, although there was a hint of a smile on her lips.

"Oi! I'm a genin of the Konoha and I'll someday become the Hokage of this village! You're just a drunk old man, so you better believe it!"

The Third spoke on, ignoring Naruto's scowl and Tazuna's narrowed eyes. "Your mission will be simple. Both teams will escort Tazuna-san to his home country: the Land of Waves. When you get there, your teams are to guard him from any threats until his bridge is finished. Both teams are to meet at the front gate tomorrow at seven AM!" He said this while looking at Kakashi specifically. Both teams and the old man looked at him. He could see Hinata's amused smile. Kakashi scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "You are dismissed!"

* * *

Hinata glanced at the gate then at the sky. The sun was blindingly bright, so she decided to turn her attention to the man who she and Naruto-kun's team were supposed to be escorting and guarding.

He was older than her father, she guessed. He had a grandfatherly air about him and a gray beard to boot. There was something about him, though, that Hinata didn't trust.

Yesterday when he had questioned their ability, he had had a worried look on his face, as if there was something out there that _needed_ more than their ability. She didn't know who else caught it, but she wouldn't say anything, at least not yet.

"Gooood Moooorniiiiingggg, Sakura-chan!" yelled Naruto, breaking the silence of the group.

Hinata sighed depressingly and turned to face the gates. She couldn't stand that Naruto-kun never noticed her. His attention was always and solely focused on Sakura-san.

She could feel Shino-kun's questioning stare on her back, but she ignored it. She didn't feel like being interrogated right now.

Hinata wished Kiba-kun was here. His loudness would block out Naruto-kun and Akamaru would be a comforting presence. But, no, Kiba-kun got food poisoning and Akamaru stayed home with him. Hinata winced. The last time she had seen Kiba-kun, his normally tan face had been unhealthily pale. _'I hope that Kiba-kun will be better by the time we get back,'_ thought Hinata worriedly.

"I am sure that by the time we get back, Kiba will be up and about in no time," said Shino-kun, as if reading her thoughts. "The mission should take about two weeks. It usually takes a person two to three weeks to get over food poisoning's effects. With Kiba's fast digestion, he should be fine, Hinata."

Hinata smiled brightly at Shino. "Thank you, Shino-kun. I needed that."

She felt Naruto-kun's stare and turned to him, blushing while doing so. "Y-yes, Naruto-kun?"

"How did dog boy get food poisoning anyways?" asked Naruto-kun, bluntly.

Hinata almost frowned, but then realized that this was Naruto-kun and he was _speaking _to her, so she resisted. "W-we went to a new BBQ restaurant. Th-they're meat was undercooked, s-so he got food poisoning."

Naruto started laughing. "Hahaha, that's hilarious. Dog boy got what he deserved."

Hinata frowned then and there. Even if he was her crush, no one would insult her teammate. But her retort was interrupted by a surprising source. "Oi, dobe, I don't think you're in any place to be insulting anyone. I'm sure you don't need reminding about how you were fighting with your clones to rush to the bathroom after drinking expired milk," said Sasuke with a smirk.

Naruto turned red and fumed silently. Hinata looked at Sasuke with gratitude in her eyes. Sasuke just nodded in her direction and turned to the gates.

Soft footsteps made Hinata turn around. It was Kurenai-sensei, fully garbed in her jounin outfit, forgoing her usual dress.

"Good morning, Kurenai-sensei," said Hinata and Shino in unison.

Hinata noticed that Team Seven looked at them oddly when they greeted Kurenai-sensei. _'I guess with Kakashi-sensei as their sensei, they don't get much time to ever greet him.'_ Hinata laughed inwardly at this.

Fifteen minutes after Kurenai-sensei arrived, a tall figure walked towards them. Hinata smiled. It looked like Kakashi-sensei finally decided to join them.

"YOU'RE LATE!" yelled both Naruto-kun and Sakura-san when Kakashi-sensei finally reached them. Sasuke's only indication of annoyance was his scowl.

Hinata laughed softly at their antics. _'So this is their normal morning routine.'_

"Ahh, gomen, gomen. There was this old lady and…" Kakashi-sensei trailed off when he realized they weren't buying it.

Hinata was pleasantly surprised when Kakashi-sensei turned towards her team. "Ah, welcome Team Eight. Yo, Hinata-chan." He raised his hand in greeting. Hinata nodded back, grinning.

Everyone else looked at them strangely. '_They are probably wondering how we know each other,'_ thought Hinata.

Kakashi gave them no answer. "Alright, then. Let's head out."

At the prospect of leaving Konoha's gates, everyone left their question unasked, too excited to remember why it was so important in the first place. However, Hinata could still see the questioning look in Kurenai-sensei's face.

"YATTA! Here goes our first C-Ranked mission!" yelled Naruto, excitedly. Hinata giggled at him, while Tazuna-san looked at him quickly.

"Y-you mean… you've never even done a C-rank mission?" asked Tazuna-san worriedly.

Kakashi-sensei looked at him. Hinata could see the suspicion in his eyes even if it was well-hidden. "No, we have not. Is there a problem with that, _Tazuna-san_?"

"Ah. N-no, not at all," answered Tazuna-san quickly. Hinata could see Kakashi-sensei's gaze linger on the man for a bit before looking at Kurenai-sensei with a warning in his eyes. Kurenai-sensei nodded.

This all happened within a few seconds, however only Naruto was blissfully ignorant. The other genin had realized the hidden warning and was now on guard.

"Ne, ne, old man! Why do we need to escort you anyways? You're just an old man, right?" asked Naruto, breaking the tense silence.

Tazuna-san answered briskly, his earlier nervousness forgotten. "I am a BRIDGE-BUILDER!" he said proudly. "I came to the Fire Country to get some supplies and I'm now returning to my home country."

"So?" asked Naruto.

"There are… bandits out there who don't want me to finish my job. When I finish the bridge, my town will surely flourish," finished Tazuna-san. His earlier nervousness was back, noted Hinata.

The two teams continued on at a quick pace, wanting to finish the mission as soon as possible. There was something suspicious in Tazuna-san's manner that unnerved Hinata. _'He's too… jumpy,'_ decided Hinata.

Every loud noise made the man flinch and he was watching everyone warily. Hinata narrowed her eyes when she realized that there was another expression on his face: guilt. Guilt for what, Hinata didn't know. All she knew was that there was more to this mission than it seemed.

Hinata turned on her byakugan, doing a routine check like Kurenai-sensei had ingrained into her. It was always better to be aware of the surroundings.

Hinata concentrated her chakra to her eyes. "Byakugan," she softly whispered. Veins bulged around her eyes. Hinata's sight expanded meters upon meters. There was nothing dangerous in sight, but Hinata kept her byakugan on regardless. It was something Kakashi-sensei had taught her. She must always be on guard, whether or not she show it.

Hinata had taken this to heart and had honed her reflexes endlessly. She had been rewarded with her efforts with Kakashi-sensei's awed praise a few months ago. She smiled, remembering the memory. Kakashi-sensei had been so shocked when she had appeared behind him with a kunai at his neck before he even had time to blink. He had been trying to sneak up on her, but due to her training, she got him before he got her.

"What's got you so happy, Hinata-chan?" Hinata looked to her side and smiled when she saw it was Kakashi-sensei. She turned off her byakugan and slowed her pace to walk beside him.

Hinata ignored everyone's curious eyes and answered back softly. "I was just remembering when I caught you by surprise that day."

Kakashi-sensei laughed sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "Oh, when you held the kunai to my neck? Hahah, you really surprised me then, Hinata-chan."

They both laughed at the memory, although Hinata's was more subdued. The two continued walking side by side, just enjoying each other's company. Hinata looked back, just to see everyone's reactions and almost laughed out loud.

Kurenai-sensei was looking at them in shock, while Shino-kun kept looking at them every now and then as if re-confirming that Hinata was, in fact, walking alongside a jounin comfortably and talking with no stutter.

Hinata giggled when she saw Naruto-kun's jaw drop when he noticed who Kakashi-sensei was talking to. She felt a bit of satisfaction when she saw Sakura-san trip when she also realized who her sensei was talking to. She was too tired of Sakura-san's heartless rejections to Naruto-kun to feel sorry for her. Sasuke had looked up when he heard Kakashi-sensei speak of the kunai incident and was now staring at Hinata, much to her amusement.

'_Everyone's reactions are so funny. Kakashi-sensei's really rubbed off on me,'_ thought Hinata. _'I'm really having too much fun messing with people now.'_

Hinata's smile faded when she realized they had just passed a puddle. _'It hasn't rained in days judging from the dusty ground. How suspicious…'_

Hinata slowed her pace even more, and motioned to Kakashi-sensei to keep on walking. He nodded silently and caught eyes with her. She stared at him for a moment and smiled confidently. Kakashi-sensei turned back to face the road after that.

Hinata then looked at Kurenai-sensei and was glad to see that she was setting up a genjutsu. She then glanced at the other four and decided to just use code language to warn them.

She waited for Tazuna-san to walk beside her before she started talking. "You know, Tazuna-san, I w-wonder if it _rains_ much in the Wave Country."

Hinata was glad to see Sasuke and Shino stiffen, but they both continued on walking, albeit at a slower pace. Tazuna-san just looked at her oddly but answered. "Umm, it does sometimes. Why do you ask, little girl?"

"Oh, j-just wondering."

After she said that, chains wrapped around Kakashi-sensei who had been walking up front, seemingly ripping him into shreds.

"Kakashi-sensei!" somebody yelled.

Hinata didn't know who it was, because just then a man jumped in front of Tazuna-san with his fist drawn back ready to strike the bridge builder with glistening claws.

Reflexes kicking in, Hinata had two kunai in her hands in a flash and jumped in front of the horrified old man, her kunai held in a defensive position. There was a 'clang' sound as metal hit metal.

Time seemed to stand still as she struggled against the strength of the other man. Hinata grit her teeth and turned on her byakugan. The sight of her bulging veins made the man slacken his force allowing Hinata to push the man back forcefully, breaking the man's metal claws in the process. She threw her two kunai at the man swiftly and settled into the traditional Hyuuga stance.

Fortunately, Kurenai-sensei's genjutsu took effect and the man started convulsing. Hinata breathed a sigh of relief and turned to watch Sasuke and Naruto. While doing so, she noticed that Sakura-san was shaking uncontrollably, but held a kunai up defensively.

Hinata felt a surge of warmth as she watched the girl. So she had back-up, even if the girl was probably not skilled physically.

Hinata snapped to attention when she realized that a gauntlet covered fist was flying towards Naruto-kun. The claws just barely nicked him before the man was knocked away. Hinata was utterly relieved when Kakashi-sensei appeared next to Naruto, her breath coming out raggedly. She hadn't even realized she had been holding her breath.

* * *

Kakashi tied the two men to a tree and started interrogating them. "Who sent you two?"

"We ain't telling you nothing." The one on the right spat at Kakashi's feet. The one on the left shivered. Kakashi looked at him oddly then realized that he was the one who had been caught in Kurenai's genjutsu.

"Let me rephrase that," he said while twirling a kunai suggestively. "Tell me who sent you and I'll let you live."

The two men gulped. The one on the left yelled, "Gatou!" before biting his tongue.

"Ahh, ok, thanks for your information. Bye." With that, Kakashi turned around.

"W-wait!" Kakashi turned around and looked at them curiously. "How did you know we were here? You guys had a plan before we even attacked!"

"Ah, well, it's all thanks to Hinata-chan over there." The girl in question looked up while blushing. "You see, we were walking and she suddenly decided to go talk to Tazuna-san after we passed a big puddle of water. She knew that it hadn't rained in a long time, so a puddle in the middle of the woods wasn't possible. She warned us and now here you guys are!" Kakashi waved at their situation cheerfully then left the two of them tied to the tree.

* * *

"That was excellent work, Hinata," praised Kurenai-sensei. Hinata blushed and bowed.

"Yes, I had not noticed the improbability of there being a puddle. If not for your warning, I would not have prepared my kikai for battle. That was quick of you, Hinata," said Shino-kun.

"Arigatou, Kurenai-sensei, Shino-kun," said Hinata softly.

Hinata blushed when she realized she had the attention of Team Seven… more importantly, Naruto-kun.

"Hinata-san, that was incredible how you jumped in front of Tazuna-san like that," said Sakura-san.

"Arigatou, Sakura-san." She bowed to her and smiled at her warmly. She then turned her attention to Tazuna-san. "Are you alright, Tazuna-san?"

The bridge builder nodded towards her numbly. "Thanks to you, I am," he murmured.

"Wow, Hinata-chan! I didn't know you were so strong! You totally pushed that nin back! That was amazing!" yelled Naruto. Hinata blushed cherry red, she was sure of it. _'He called me Hinata-chan!'_ she inwardly squealed. She just nodded at him, not sure if she could form words at the moment.

Sasuke gave Hinata a small nod of acknowledgement and turned to Naruto. "You alright, scaredy cat?"

Hinata frowned at Sasuke's words and turned to look at Naruto and gasped. "Naruto-kun! You're bleeding!"

She watched as Naruto-kun lifted up his left hand in shock. Hinata was about to rush over to him, but Kakashi-sensei intervened. "Sorry, Naruto. It's because of me that you got hurt. I didn't think that you would freeze like that. Those guys' claws were poisoned, so I guess we'll have to go back to fix that cut."

Hinata watched the blonde, her heart going out to him. Naruto-kun was trembling and she could see his internal struggle. She knew how it felt to feel like a burden. It hurt so much to know what he was going through, yet not be able to do anything about it.

To Hinata's surprise, Naruto-kun raised a kunai and stabbed his wound, making the blood come out. "With this kunai, I'll protect that old man, so we don't need to go back!"

Hinata watched with a warm heart as Naruto-kun yet again surprised her. Even with the setback, he had pushed through and had changed the situation. _'He… he's so inspiring!'_

"Oi, Naruto. That's great and all that you're taking out the poison, but you might die from blood loss, you know," said Kakashi-sensei, his right eye crinkling with mirth. Hinata sighed. He really liked messing with people too much.

Hinata walked up to Naruto and gave him a tentative smile. "I-I have some medical supplies in my pack. L-let me help you, Naruto-kun…"

She was relieved when the blonde grinned. "Thanks, Hinata-chan! Please hurry though! I don't want to die!"

Hinata went to work cleaning off the blood. _'There really is a lot of blood.'_ She started rubbing an ointment she had recently made onto the wound, hoping it would work. She pinched her eyebrows together when she realized that the wound was already healing. It was healing way too fast to be normal, but she decided not to bring it up yet. Maybe she could talk to Kakashi-sensei about it.

After she finished wrapping the wound, she sighed and wiped off some sweat from her forehead with her jacket sleeve. "I'm done, Naruto-kun."

She felt light-headed when Naruto-kun flashed her a bright smile. "Thanks a bunch, Hinata-chan!"

After she gathered up her medical supplies, the group set off at an even faster pace than before. Along the way, everyone's suspicions were confirmed—this was no ordinary C-ranked mission.

"You have shinobi coming after you. Why is that, Tazuna-san?" asked Kurenai-sensei.

The old man sighed. "Actually, Gatou is in control of my town. The place is in pieces economically. That's why I want to finish building the bridge. With the bridge in place, the town is sure to flourish!" The man said this in a desperate tone. "If you guys abandon me now, the bridge will never be finished and all those people in the Land of Waves will be worse off than dead because of you guys!"

Everyone stiffened at this comment. "There's no need to be making threats," said Kurenai-sensei quietly.

The man quieted down and just kept walking with his shoulders hunched.

"This mission has just been officially bumped up to B-rank. It is up to you guys to decide whether or not you guys want to go with it," said Kakashi-sensei, looking at the genin.

Hinata looked at Kakashi-sensei and found her answer. "It would be b-best for us to continue on, is what I think, Kakashi-sensei, Kurenai-sensei." Hinata was pleased to see Kakashi-sensei nod at her proudly.

"Those who agree?" asked Kakashi-sensei.

All four hands were raised. "Let's finish this, you guys!" shouted Naruto. Hinata felt a rush of heat at his strong cheer.

"Yeah!" agreed Sakura-san.

"To back out now would be unbefitting as shinobi of the Leaf," said Shino-kun calmly.

"Looks like this mission's finally getting interesting," said Sasuke while smirking.

"You have your answer, Tazuna-san," said Kakashi-sensei, his right eye crinkled with pride.


	5. Momochi Zabuza

"Wow, what thick mist," commented Naruto-kun.

Hinata smiled at him and turned her attention to the bridge. She had her byakugan turned on, so she could see through the mist perfectly. It also helped that Kakashi-sensei had practiced this jutsu around her so that she could get used to having no vision and hone her other senses.

When they reached land, the party of ninjas finally relaxed. Being sightless had rattled the genins' nerves.

Hinata could see that Kakashi-sensei and Kurenai-sensei were tense, waiting for any sign of attack. Deciding to trust her senseis' guard, she turned off her byakugan. She didn't want to waste anymore chakra than necessary.

She closed her eyes and decided to just use her other senses to search for danger. A hiss of wind made her eyes snap open. A kunai appeared in her hand and she looked around for a threat. Her hand relaxed when she realized that Naruto-kun had just thrown a shuriken in his paranoia.

"Oh, it was just a rat," said Naruto, trying to play it off. Hinata sighed and closed her eyes again, concentrating on their surroundings.

'_There! There's a threat nearby!'_ Hinata gasped and turned just as Naruto flung a kunai at the tree.

A white rabbit was trembling just under the kunai. Hinata's eyes narrowed. She had felt a threat for sure. _'Kawarimi no jutsu? That's the most likely alternative.'_

Kakashi-sensei's voice rang out. "Everyone, get DOWN!"

Hinata had already grabbed Naruto-kun and pushed him down with her. It was just in the nick of time. A huge sword cleaved the air where their torsos had just been. Hinata released a shaky sigh and stood up, releasing her grip on Naruto-kun. She observed the area and was relieved to see that everyone had got down in time.

"Well, well, if it isn't Mist's Missing-nin, Momochi Zabuza," said Kakashi-sensei.

She looked up and saw a big muscled man standing on a tree branch. The man had bandages over the lower half of his face and a Mist headband. His gravelly voice echoed through the area. "Sharingan no Kakashi, eh? No wonder the Demon Brothers were no match for you. Sorry, but I'm here for the old man. Why don't you just hand him over?"

"Sharingan?" hissed Sasuke. Hinata looked over at him sadly. She remembered hearing the news of the Uchiha clan's massacre. Now he was the only one, besides his criminal brother.

"Kurenai," said Kakashi looking at her. She nodded and disappeared from sight. "You guys surround Tazuna! Stay together no matter what. This will be your teamwork, you understand?" Kakashi-sensei lifted his headband and said, "I guess I'll have to use it."

Everyone stared at Kakashi-sensei's left eye in shock. Hinata drew in a sharp breath. She had always wondered why he hid his eye, but never mustered up the courage to ask him. She respected his privacy and he respected hers.

"I guess I'll have to go through you first, Sharingan no Kakashi!"

The man jumped from the tree and disappeared into the lake nearby. The genin scrambled to follow the silver-haired jounin's orders.

Hinata fell into her stance on the left of Tazuna-san warily and watched Kakashi-sensei closely. He was entirely different from his usual laid-back attitude. _'This is a true jounin of the Leaf!'_ thought Hinata. She felt a pang of regret. She had been trained by this man and she hardly knew him. She knew his habits and his personality, but realized that she next to nothing about his past, except that he used to be a former ANBU.

'_Now's my chance to learn more about Kakashi-sensei!'_ Hinata kept a close eye on him and strengthened her defense. She glanced over at her teammates.

Naruto-kun was trembling slightly, from anticipation or fear she did not know. Sasuke and Sakura-san both held a kunai in their hand and Shino-kun had his hands in his pockets. More than likely, his kikai was already draining the missing-nin's chakra.

Zabuza rose back up, standing on top of the water. Hinata turned on her byakugan when she realized he had his hand up in a seal.

"Ninpou: Hidden Mist no Jutsu."

Mist suddenly filled the area. Hinata noticed the mist was laced with a huge amount of chakra. The mist was harder to see through than the normal mist, but Hinata could still see everyone's chakra system.

The missing-nin's voice could be heard clearly through the mist. "Eight choices. Liver, lungs, spine, clavical vein, neck vein, brain, kidneys, heart," drawled the voice. "Which one should I go after?"

Hinata shivered. There was a massive amount of killing intent. She felt like if she even moved, she would be killed in a single stroke.

She brushed aside her fear when she realized that Sasuke was trembling and was slowly raising his kunai. She placed her hand on his hand and looked into his eyes kindly. She was glad to see his trembling stop.

Kakashi-sensei's voice broke through the mist. "Sasuke, don't worry. I'll protect you guys with my life." Hinata and Sasuke turned to look at where they assumed him to be. "I don't let my comrades die." With Hinata's byakugan, she could see the sincere smile on his face. The fear that had been squeezing her heart suddenly vanished and it became easier to breathe. She could see similar feelings from her teammates.

"We'll see about that!"

Suddenly, Zabuza appeared between their defense, his sword dangerously close to Tazuna-san. Hinata blinked and was shoved out of the way.

All of her teammates and Tazuna-san had been pushed away. Hinata turned to look at where they had been standing. In their place, was Kurenai-sensei and Kakashi-sensei. They both had a kunai through the mist-nin.

To Hinata's surprise, water started leaking from his wounds. Hinata gasped. _'It was a Mizu Bunshin!'_ Hinata shouted. "Behind you!"

She watched with horror as both of her sensei got sliced in one strike… only for them to burst into water.

Her shoulders sagged. There was too much tension, and it was starting to get to her.

Kakashi quickly appeared behind Zabuza with a kunai at his throat. "Don't move. It's over," he said.

Zabuza laughed. "You think you can defeat me with your imitations? Don't be a fool."

"There's another one! Kakashi-sensei, move!" yelled Hinata.

The silver-haired jounin nicked the Mizu Bunshin making it burst into water and jumped up, just narrowly avoiding Zabuza's swing of his sword.

It was a fierce battle of dodge and duck for Kakashi-sensei. Hinata couldn't help but feel a pit of hopelessness building up. She gasped when Kakashi-sensei jumped into the water and got captured in the Mist-nin's water prison.

"Now, I'll take care of the others. Mizu Bunshin no jutsu!"

The water clone started walking towards them. Hinata breathed in fearfully and tightened her stance.

"You guys wearing forehead protectors and pretending to be ninjas… A true ninja is one who has seen death multiple times and survived it!"

Hinata watched with horror as the clone kicked Naruto-kun backward, his forehead protector flying.

Hinata's heart clenched as she watched Naruto-kun pick himself up shakily. To Hinata's amazement, the clone burst into a puddle of water. Hinata's sharp eyes picked up on Kurenai-sensei in her genjutsu. She sighed in relief.

Zabuza made two more water clones and Hinata watched them fearfully as they came closer.

"Kurenai! Take them and run! He's much too strong for you when you've got to worry about the genin! Just run! He can't move while he's holding me and his Mizu bunshin can't go too far from his body!" yelled Kakashi desperately.

Hinata felt tears prickle at her eyes. She shook her head and cleared her mind. She knew what needed to be done. "Kurenai-sensei," she said evenly. "Please watch Tazuna-san for me." She felt her sensei's questioning stare, but ignored it.

"Naruto-kun, Sasuke-san, Sakura-san, Shino-kun. I have a plan."

* * *

Kakashi watched with horror as Naruto made a seal. "Kage bunshin no jutsu!" Ten Naruto's popped into existence.

"Ahhh!" yelled Naruto in a battle cry. All his clones rushed forward, all intent on attacking the two Mizu bunshin.

He could not utter a word, not wanting to distract the blonde genin. One distraction and Naruto could be killed.

The two water clones blocked the attacks and knocked out four of the ten clones.

Kakashi felt an unfamiliar feeling at his throat. He couldn't do anything but watch his precious comrades fight someone way out of their league. It was draining all his hope and will. He forced back the feeling and stared at the battlefield.

Sakura and Kurenai were guarding the bridge builder and Naruto and Shino were holding the two clones at bay. Sasuke had taken out a fuma shuriken and was brandishing it fearfully. Hinata had long since disappeared from sight. Kakashi could only guess at her plan.

Despite the trembling fear, he felt a surge of pride towards his genin and Hinata. She really was getting stronger. The girl had come up with a plan and was executing it. He had yet to see any mistakes and could only pray that none were made.

* * *

Naruto groaned when his last clone was destroyed. He put his hands together into a familiar seal and yelled, "Kage bunshin no jutsu!" making another fifteen clones.

He watched them from his hiding place. Hinata had come up with a pretty good plan and they were now in the beginning stage. He watched Sasuke carefully. _'There's the signal!'_ He jumped down, grabbing one of the water clones from the back.

Hinata jumped out from her hiding spot, her byakugan flaring. Naruto watched in amazement as she swiftly ran to the clone and gave it a swift palm strike to the stomach. The clone dissipated into water.

"Good job, Naruto-kun. Our next part of the plan starts now," said Hinata in a hard voice. He nodded.

"Sasuke! Get him!" he yelled.

He watched as Sasuke threw the shuriken. He quickly Kawarimi'd with one of his clones and transformed into a shuriken, hiding in the other's shadow.

The fuma shuriken sliced cleanly through the water clone and headed straight to Zabuza. He watched with grim satisfaction as the man jumped up, avoiding the shuriken completely. Naruto broke his henge and threw a bunch of kunai at the man from the behind.

Naruto grinned when the man released the prison jutsu to avoid his kunai. They had done it!

* * *

Hinata watched as the last stage of the plan was executed. She sighed in relief when Zabuza released the jutsu, freeing Kakashi-sensei.

Kakashi-sensei turned to her and winked before making rapid hand seals. To Hinata's surprise, so was Zabuza.

She gasped when she realized what was really happening—Kakashi-sensei was _copying_ the missing-nin.

"That's the Sharingan," muttered Sasuke. "It can copy ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu perfectly, allowing the user to see through any illusion."

Hinata nodded in understanding. She had read a few scrolls on the byakugan and had come across the basics of Sharingan. It had been enlightening, to say the least.

Hinata looked up sharply when the missing-nin was thrown into a tree.

"You're dead," said Kakashi-sensei.

Suddenly two needles were imbedded in Zabuza's neck. Hinata could see with her byakugan that the man's heart had stopped. _'He really is dead,'_ she thought in relief. _'Finally all the fighting is over with!'_

A masked mist nin appeared beside the dead body. "Thank you very much," said the nin. "I have been looking for a chance to get Zabuza for a long time." Hinata was surprised at his voice. He sounded hardly older than them.

The boy was interrupted by a loud voice. "What the hell?! Who are you?" Hinata looked to see Naruto-kun pointing a finger at the nin.

"It's okay, Naruto. He's not an enemy," reassured Kakashi-sensei.

"B-but he killed Zabuza in one throw! That's not even fair!" yelled Naruto indignantly.

"In this world," said Kakashi-sensei, "there are people younger than you and stronger than me." He ruffled Naruto-kun's hair.

The masked boy landed next to the dead body. "Well, I must dispose of this body. It looks to have many secrets." He made a seal and disappeared, taking the body with him.

"Well, now we have to get Tazuna-san to his house." Hinata watched Kakashi-sensei closely as he covered his Sharingan and took a step, only to fall face forward ungracefully.

"Kakashi-sensei!"

* * *

Sasuke watched the black-haired jounin carry Kakashi on her back. "Sorry, Kurenai, that you have to do this. How am I going to ever explain this to Asuma?" said Kakashi in a weary voice.

The woman blushed and told Kakashi that there was really nothing to worry about. Sasuke almost rolled his eyes when Kakashi said, "Ah, I admire how you two are so devoted to each other!"

The woman's blush darkened. The Hyuuga girl giggled softly. Sasuke's eyes narrowed. That girl was strong. She was stronger than he thought.

He thought back to when she warned them about the two nins. The girl had been talking to Kakashi (something he was interested in learning more about) and had warned them after deducing there was something wrong after passing a _puddle_.

Sasuke scowled. Even he hadn't noticed anything wrong with the puddle. His brother's words echoed in his mind. _"You are weak, foolish little brother."_ He grit his teeth and ignored the mocking voice.

He looked back at the girl. He wanted to fight her to test his strength. She looked like she would be a formidable match, especially seeing how she had handled the two mizu bunshin. Plus, she was from the Hyuuga clan. That was the one clan that was reportedly stronger than the Uchiha. Sasuke smirked. It would be an interesting match.

His musings were cut short by a shout from the bridge builder. "WE''RE HERE!"

* * *

"Are you alright, sensei?" asked Tsunami-san, Tazuna-san's daughter.

Kakashi-sensei nodded. "Yeah. I just won't be able to move for about a week, though." Hinata smiled, glad that Kakashi-sensei wasn't hurt, just worn out.

"Ne, who was that masked boy?" asked Sakura-san. Everyone perked up at her question. They all wanted to know. Hinata looked at Kakashi-sensei.

"That was the mask worn by Hidden Mist's Hunter-nin. Hunter-nin dispose of missing-nins' bodies without leaving a trace," said Kakashi-sensei.

"That way the body's secrets won't be found by other ninja," added Kurenai-sensei. "A body's secrets can reveal a lot of important information, so it's best to dispose of it as soon as possible."

Hinata nodded slowly along with her teammates. _'That makes sense,'_ she thought.

Kakashi-sensei closed his eye, ready to sleep. The rest of the genin just watched him for a moment or two. Naruto whispered something into Sakura-san's ear. Hinata couldn't help but feel a bit jealous at that fact. _'Naruto-kun would never share a secret with me,_' thought Hinata forlornly. She hung her head.

She looked up, though, when she heard Sakura-san whisper, "OK!"

Hinata looked at them oddly, wondering what the two were planning, pushing back her jealousy. She watched with growing excitement as the two crept forward to Kakashi-sensei's face, their hands held out… only for Kakashi-sensei's single eye to snap open.

"Gahh!" they both yelled as they flew back. She could feel the disappointment from her two silent teammates and surprisingly from Kurenai-sensei as well. She giggled softly into her hand at the two's failed attempt at unmasking Kakashi-sensei's face.

Kurenai-sensei eyed him curiously. "What's wrong, Kakashi?"

Kakashi-sensei forced himself into a sitting position, his hand over his face. Hinata regarded him silently, wondering what had the silver-haired jounin so worked up.

Kakashi-sensei looked at Kurenai-sensei with a serious expression on his face. "Don't you think it's odd that the hunter-nin didn't dispose of the body right there?"

Hinata felt fear curl in the pit of her stomach. _'He doesn't mean…'_

Kurenai-sensei gasped. "That's right! Then does that mean that…?"

Kakashi-sensei nodded. "Zabuza's more than likely still alive."

Hinata looked up shock written all over her and her teammates' faces. Tazuna-san gulped from somewhere behind them. "But he was killed right in front of us!"

The silver-haired jounin nodded. "But think back to the weapon the hunter-nin used. He used senbon, small needles that are hardly killing devices unless aimed towards an internal organ." Everyone drew in a sharp breath. "And the hunter-nin took the body with him. We have no way of knowing whether or not Zabuza is still alive. It's safer to assume he is and prepare ourselves."

The group nodded solemnly. Hinata watched Naruto-kun tremble in anticipation. She smiled at his feelings. She didn't want to face that terrifying man again, but if she had this team as back-up, she felt more reassurance and confidence in herself. _'Plus, Kakashi-sensei is here. He told us he wouldn't let his precious comrades die.'_ With that thought in mind, Hinata calmed her nerves and relaxed.

She looked at Kakashi-sensei and realized that his eye was smiling at the group. "With that information, we'll do more training!"

All the ninja in the room looked at him, confusedly. "What's training going to do to help us, sensei? You, yourself, was struggling against the man! We wouldn't stand a chance!" yelled Sakura-san.

Hinata looked at Kakashi-sensei fearfully. What _did_ he expect them to do against that man?

"Sakura. Who saved me while I was struggling?" Sakura-san quieted down, contemplating this. "You guys are growing rapidly. I'm very proud of you guys. Especially Naruto. He's improved the most out of our team."

Hinata smiled proudly when Kakashi-sensei acknowledged Naruto-kun's growth. "And Hinata, your plan was excellent, flawless even. I'm proud to have been one of your teachers." Hinata flushed at his compliment and looked away, ignoring everyone's shocked expressions.

"Hinata, Kakashi's trained you before?" asked Kurenai-sensei. Hinata nodded, looking up to meet the red-eyed jounin's curious gaze.

"So that is how you know each other," said Shino simply.

The rest of Team Seven looked at her varying expressions of wonder and admiration. Hinata blushed from all the attention, deciding to look at her hands that lay in her lap.

"Yup, I've helped her with her training for a few years now," said Kakashi-sensei, taking all the attention away from Hinata. She looked at him gratefully. He smiled at her. "Now, you guys will be training under Kurenai." He looked at the said woman. "Could you teach my team tree climbing for me?" Kurenai-sensei nodded swiftly. "Alright then, good luck!"

He gave them a wave of dismissal. The three members of Team Seven stood up, along with Shino-kun and Kurenai-sensei. Hinata made to stand up but was stopped. "Hinata, you can stay here. Rest for tomorrow because you will be the only person guarding Tazuna-san," said Kakashi-sensei. She nodded and sat back down.

"But, sensei, isn't she going to be training with us?" asked Sakura-san tentatively.

Hinata decided to speak up. "A-actually, Sakura-san, Kakashi-sensei has already taught me the exercise you are about to do. I have a-already mastered it, so I will g-guard Tazuna-san in your team's place."

Hinata breathed a sigh of relief as the pink-haired girl nodded. The rest of the group filed out, leaving only Kakashi-sensei and her.

* * *

Kakashi smiled as all signs of Hinata's uneasiness left her, leaving her in a relaxed state. The thought of her being the most comfortable with him made a warm feeling spread across his chest.

He decided to break the silence. "So now we have the room _all_ to ourselves, Hinata-chan," he said in a teasing voice.

Hinata blushed and looked at him, speaking in her soft voice. "That sounds so wrong coming from your mouth, Kakashi-sensei."

He laughed loudly. He had really missed teasing her, not having really gotten a chance to do so during their mission. "That's true. I bet you would love it if it came from 'Naruto-kun's' mouth, though."

To his surprise, the girl merely nodded and looked down. "I'll never have a chance with him," she said in a small, defeated tone.

Kakashi was speechless. What happened to make her this depressed? _'She didn't even blush when I suggested something dirty with her and 'Naruto-kun.'_

Hinata continued on in her small voice. "He likes Sakura-san. So much that he can share s-secrets with her. And here I am, keeping a secret _from_ him." She looked up, tears starting at the corners of her pearl eyes, much to Kakashi's horror. _'Wh-what do I do with crying girls?!'_ he thought frantically, wishing to all the gods that Kurenai was here. She was a woman, so she would know what to do, right?

To his relief, the girl wiped them away hurriedly and bowed her head. "Gomen, Kakashi-sensei. I shouldn't have showed such weakness."

"That's okay, Hinata-chan. I'm sure he'll come around sooner or later. Your attention to him is kind of obvious after all," said Kakashi teasingly, hoping to lighten the mood.

It worked, judging from the girl's burning cheeks. "Wh-what do y-you mean? I-it's obvious?"

Kakashi laughed. "To me and to Kurenai. I'm sure Shino's already figured it out and Sakura's got a smart head on her shoulders. Sasuke's ignoring you to the best of his ability, although he's been eying you with interest lately." He chuckled as the girl widened her eyes with horror. He decided to clarify what he meant. "He wants to fight you."

The girl breathed in slowly and nodded. "O-ok. That makes sense. I thought…" She shivered. "I thought you meant s-something else." She looked up at Kakashi with a strange glint in her eyes. "I thought I would be the target of the many assassination attempts of his f-fangirls." She shuddered.

Kakashi blinked and then his body shook with laughter. Hinata looked at him strangely then started giggling. Kakashi didn't know whether it was from the thought of Sasuke's fangirls after her or if she was laughing at him, but he decided it didn't matter. At least she wasn't depressed any more. He would do anything to make her happy.

That thought brought him up short. _'When did she become so important to me?'_ he wondered. He looked at her curiously and saw the same look in her eyes.

Taking in Hinata's small form, her short indigo hair, her pale, ivory eyes and the way the setting sun's orange rays kissed her pale cheeks, he realized that he did care for her deeply and that she had become an important part of his life. _'If I were to lose her, I don't know what I'd do,'_ he thought solemnly.

"What's wrong, Kakashi-sensei?" she asked, looking at him with a cutely confused expression on her face.

Kakashi chuckled. "I was just thinking about how Naruto's so much darker than you. Your skin colors would contrast and complete each other so well."

He watched with a certain satisfaction as the girl's cheeks turned five shades of red, ranging from pale pink to a robust burgundy.

His single eye curved into a happy arch as he enjoyed the rest of the time he had with her, savoring each and every moment of it.


	6. A Precious Comrade

Thanks for your wonderful reviews.

Here's the last part of the Land of Waves Arc!

* * *

"Naruto's still sleeping, sensei," said Sakura-san. Hinata looked up at this. _'He must really be exhausted from the training.'_

"Ahh, well, why don't we give him a break today?" said Kakashi-sensei, his single eye curving. "Tsunami-san, will you tell Naruto to meet us at the bridge when he wakes up?"

"Ah, hai, sensei," said the black haired woman.

With that said, the group set out. Hinata observed her teammates surreptitiously. Sakura-san was chipper as ever, Shino-kun was his usual silent self, and Sasuke… well, Sasuke looked like he could've used a couple more hours of sleep as well, although he was trying hard not to show it. Kurenai-sensei was yawning slightly and Kakashi-sensei was reading his orange book.

Hinata sighed. She had always wondered what the book was about, and judging from the cover, it was probably something people her age were not allowed to read. She smiled, remembering the one time she had asked Kakashi-sensei what was in the book. Much to Hinata's confusion and amusement, the man had _blushed_, although she really hadn't been able to tell with his mask. He had stuttered out a vague answer and disappeared.

Her cheery mood vanished when they reached the bridge and was greeted with the sight of bloody bodies everywhere.

A chilling atmosphere settled as everyone took in the sight. Tazuna-san trembled and cried out. "E-everyone…"

Kakashi-sensei's book disappeared into his pack and out came a kunai. "Looks like he didn't die after all. Kurenai."

Kurenai-sensei nodded and appeared beside Tazuna-san. "Sakura, stand on his right. Shino, behind him, Hinata, in front," she said. They nodded and took their positions.

As she said this, a familiar mist settled on the bridge. "Hidden mist no jutsu," breathed out Sakura-san.

Suddenly, ten Zabuza's surrounded them. They grinned at them. "Well, looks like the brats are back, eh, Kakashi?"

Hinata noticed that Sasuke was trembling again. Her observant eyes narrowed when she realized that he was shaking with _excitement._ _'He really wants to fight them.'_

The ten Zabuza moved and Sasuke acted quickly. With a few quick movements, all ten turned back to water.

"That was nice, kid. How about you try Haku, here?"

Out of the mist, Hinata could make out Zabuza and the masked boy from before. Kurenai-sensei hissed. "So he was working with you."

"Yup. Go, Haku," said the missing-nin.

The boy nodded and dashed towards Sasuke. Sasuke and Haku engaged in a fierce battle. Hinata watched with awe as Sasuke kept up with the boy's fast speed. Her breath hitched in her throat when mirrors of ice appeared, surrounding Sasuke.

"Sasuke!" shouted Kakashi-sensei. He made to move towards him, but Zabuza blocked his way.

"Your fight is with me, Sharingan no Kakashi." The missing-nin held his sword menacingly.

Hinata turned on her byakugan and gasped in horror as senbon was being thrown at Sasuke. He couldn't dodge it in time and now had needles sticking throughout various parts of his body. Watching this, she steeled herself. _'I won't let a comrade die in front of me either.'_

"Kurenai-sensei, I'm going to help Sasuke." The black-haired woman nodded and Hinata set off towards the dome of ice.

She jumped in just in time to deflect some senbon with her kunai. Hinata looked at Sasuke and asked, "Are you alright?"

She ignored the boy's incredulous stare and looked at the mirrors, her veins bulging. Even with her byakugan active, she couldn't see which Haku was the real one. She bit her lip. This was going to be tough.

"You cannot defeat me, even with your powerful bloodline, girl. You lack the will to kill me," said the masked boy.

The boy jumped out of one of the mirrors and threw senbon in her and Sasuke's direction. Gritting her teeth, she spun and managed to expel enough chakra from her tenketsu to deflect most of them. _'I haven't yet mastered the Kaiten, so this will have to do.'_

"Sasuke, move!" She yelled as more senbon flew in their direction. The two separated and Hinata watched with despair as senbon pierced Sasuke. She couldn't protect him like this!

The two continued to dodge the senbon to the best of their ability, trying to protect their vital organs. After they had been dodging for what seemed like hours, Sasuke was starting to dodge the senbon perfectly. She looked in his direction and gasped. He had activated his Sharingan!

However, when she observed it more closely, she saw that it was still incomplete. Sasuke realized that he had activated his Sharingan and was now dodging the senbon completely with a satisfied smirk.

"I see now that I cannot drag this out any longer. I am facing two strong doujutsu that can see through my attacks perfectly. This is the end," said the boy solemnly.

He swiftly threw a cluster of senbon towards Sasuke, which, to Hinata's dread, were aimed towards Sasuke's vital organs. Without thinking, acting purely on instinct and reflexes, she pushed him out of the way, taking the blow herself.

* * *

Sasuke watched as the senbon flew towards him, going too fast for him to dodge it. He could only stand there in fear waiting for his fate… only to be shoved forcefully out of the way.

Sasuke looked to his side and saw Hinata, the quiet Hyuuga girl that probably had a crush on the dobe, filled with needles. He felt a cold fear fill him as the girl fell down, pushing in some needles in her back even deeper.

He stood up and looked down into the girl's pale, pupil-less eyes. "Why did you do that?" he asked quietly. "There was no reason for you to take my hit."

The girl gave him a soft smile and said, "I won't let my p-precious comrades d-die in f-front of me." She closed her eyes before she stopped breathing completely.

Sasuke stared at her in shock and felt a numb feeling surround his heart. A loud, piercing yell broke him out of his shock. "HINATA! WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO HER, SASUKE!?"

Sasuke looked at the blonde who had appeared by his side. "She… saved my life," he said hoarsely. He himself could hardly believe that this girl who hardly knew him, one of the few girls who didn't throw herself all over him, had taken his hit.

Naruto stared at the girl's motionless body for a moment before the masked boy spoke up. "Is this the first time a friend has died before your eyes?" Sasuke and the blonde turned to look at the boy. "The least that can be said is that she died an honorable death. Now you two are next."

The boy brandished his senbon and threw them at Sasuke swiftly. Sasuke, still reeling from shock that a girl had saved him, couldn't move his body in time to dodge the attack. Before he knew it, darkness surrounded him.

* * *

Naruto stared at his two friends' unmoving bodies… and then all he could see was red.

"**I'll kill you!"**

* * *

A massive amount of chakra surrounded the area. Kakashi looked up in shock. _'Naruto! Has the seal broken?'_ The familiar feel of the evil chakra wrapped around Kakashi and he exhaled in relief.

From somewhere behind him, he heard Kurenai's sharp intake of breath. "Has the seal broken, Kakashi?" she asked worriedly.

"No, but it's weakening. The Nine-tails' chakra is leaking out," he replied. He grabbed his scroll, opened it, and spread his blood all over it. "It's time to finish this, Zabuza, before time runs out… for the both of us." He made his hand seals quickly. He breathed in relief when his nin-dogs captured Zabuza.

"Even if I can't see you, my cute nin-dogs can smell my blood on you. So you see, it's over for you," he said.

He made hand seals for the Chidori and started running, aiming for Zabuza's heart… only for him to ram it through the wrong person.

He felt a twinge of regret when he realized he had killed the boy. He sighed. The boy had taken the blow for Zabuza, though, so he pushed back the guilt.

He quickly moved out of the way, taking the dead boy with him, when Zabuza moved towards him. Kakashi put down the boy and closed his eyes. He turned to face Zabuza and dashed forward. He managed to put a kunai through both of the man's arms before the missing-nin realized what he was doing and spoke sharply, "You're finished, Zabuza. You can't form a single ninjutsu, not with your arms useless." He moved back towards Tazuna.

It was only until that point that Kakashi realized with a jolt that the Nine-tails' chakra had receded and Naruto was back to normal. That was good.

The mist cleared, allowing the ninja to see a short pudgy man. "Gatou," hissed Zabuza.

The man snickered. "You know, I wasn't going to pay you two _ninja_ a cent. I'll end your life with numbers, even if you are the Demon in the Mist." As he said this, the mist finally faded away, allowing Kakashi to see the enormous amount of armed men behind the man.

"Sorry, Kakashi, but this fight is over," said Zabuza. Kakashi looked at him sharply. "I don't have a reason to kill Tazuna now, so we no longer have to fight each other."

Kakashi nodded in understanding. Their fight was over at last, thank Kami.

He watched Gatou walk forward and do something unforgivable. "I owe this kid one for breaking my arm," the man said, kicking Haku's dead body.

Naruto burst. "What the hell are you doing!?" Kakashi grabbed him before he could run towards him.

"Look at their numbers, Naruto. You don't stand a chance."

The blonde ignored him and went on ranting and yelling at Gatou, then Zabuza. "He loved you! Aren't you going to do anything?"

Kakashi watched with surprise when the Demon in the Mist started crying at Naruto's words. _'He really did care for the boy,'_ he thought in understanding.

Naruto lent Zabuza a kunai and the man ran towards the armed men and, much to everyone's shock, got all the way to Gatou and took off the man's head.

Kakashi honored the man's last wish and laid him next to Haku. He then turned to Naruto and asked, "Where's Hinata and Sasuke, Naruto?"

Coldness clutched at his heart when Naruto didn't answer; he just looked down and pointed towards the melted water. Kakashi looked to where he pointed and to his horror, there laid Sasuke and Hinata's motionless bodies.

He appeared by Hinata's side in a flash, ignoring Kurenai's and Tazuna-san's startled looks.

Kakashi took in her bloody and needle-filled body. He stared at her pale face and felt his chest constrict with fear when he realized she wasn't breathing and her heart wasn't beating. _'She's dead…?'_

"Hinata," he whispered hoarsely.

Kakashi cradled her still body in his arms and let a single tear roll down his masked cheek.

* * *

'_Where am I?' _thought Hinata weakly. _'It's dark… Am I dead?'_

Something wet hit her cheek. Her eyes fluttered opened and closed as she lifted her hand to her cheek.

A voice broke through her muddled thoughts. "Hinata!"

Her eyes snapped open. Ivory eyes met a familiar dark gray one. "Hinata," whispered the voice.

She smiled faintly. "K-Kakashi-sensei…?"

Hinata felt strong arms press her to their owner's warm chest. She blushed at the close contact.

"Hinata, y-you're not dead," said Kakashi-sensei in a rough voice.

"Y-yeah, I'm not."

She struggled to pull herself up, but was stopped when Kakashi-sensei's arms pushed her more firmly into his chest. "You shouldn't be moving so soon, Hinata," said Kakashi-sensei.

Hinata looked up at him, confusedly. "Wh-what happened to Z-Zabuza and Haku?"

Kakashi-sensei's eye smiled down at her gently. "It's a long story. I'll explain when you're feeling better, Hinata-chan. Why don't you get some rest?"

Hinata tried to protest, but Kakashi-sensei's chest was so warm and comfortable… She welcomed the relaxing darkness that surrounded her and drifted back to sleep.

* * *

Sasuke groaned and opened his eyes. The morning sun's bright rays of light filled the room, making him grimace. He hated waking up with the sun in his face.

He went downstairs to be greeted by Sakura and Tazuna-san. He grunted back and ate the breakfast Tsunami-san made for them with a stiff "Itadakimasu."

Sasuke looked up when a soft, "Good morning, everyone," filled the room. It was the Hyuuga girl, Hinata.

He looked at her briefly before flushing slightly and went back to his food.

Ever since she "saved" his life, he had been noticing her more. He loved how she blushed when Kakashi teased her, he liked listening to her soft giggles, and he admired her gracefulness. She wasn't like any girl he ever met and it intrigued him. _She_ intrigued him.

Then in walked the bane of his existence at the moment: Naruto. The idiot was the object of her affections and he didn't even know it! It annoyed Sasuke to no end. A beautiful girl who wasn't annoying actually liked the blonde and the dobe was oblivious. He wanted to throw him a good punch. Or two.

"Gooood mooooorrnniiiiiiiig!" yelled the blonde twit. Hinata giggled softly at his antics.

Sasuke's eye twitched. Scratch wanting to punch him—he wanted to beat the idiot black and blue.

* * *

"Good bye, everyone!" chorused the villagers.

Kakashi offered them a smile and waved. The rest of the group said good bye. Kakashi eyed Naruto oddly. The boy had said goodbye to Inari, Tazuna-san's grandson, turned around, and promptly burst into tears, Inari doing the same thing. He looked away and scanned the rest of the group, his gaze lingering on Hinata for a bit.

After Hinata "died," he had been watching her more than usual. He wasn't sure why, but he just had to make sure the girl was breathing like normal, blushing like normal, and being her usual shy, accommodating self. Every time she blushed when he teased her about Naruto, he would exhale in relief. It was like he had to reassure himself that Hinata was alive and well.

Kakashi pushed those thoughts aside when he noticed Sasuke looking at Hinata with an odd look in his eyes. The look was explained when Hinata tripped on her feet and accidentally ran into Sasuke's back. Kakashi was amused to see a small blush on the usually stoic boy's face.

He grinned; Hinata would not like to hear that there would be multiple assassination attempts on her life when she arrived in Konoha after the fangirls got wind of Sasuke's little crush. He could already see Sakura giving the girl evil death glares after Hinata apologized profusely to the boy.

Looking at the group brought back memories. '_Life was so carefree back then,'_ thought Kakashi, feeling a wave of nostalgia hit him. He wasn't that old, but he had plenty of memories of love triangles and love squares, and in Hinata's case, full-out war.

"Kakashi-sensei." Kakashi looked down to see Hinata walking beside him.

"Hmm?"

"I was wondering…" the girl trailed off hesitantly. "Should I be scared at this sudden sense of foreboding I feel?"

Kakashi chuckled. So the girl had seen the number one rookie's blush. "Yes, Hinata, you should be scared," he said in a low voice. "You should be _very_ scared."

His low chuckle turned into full, blown-out laughter as he watched the girl shudder in fear. He felt the doubts that had been plaguing him disappear, leaving him with only a cheerfully content feeling. Hinata was definitely alive, no doubts about that. He felt his lips curve when he looked at the girl's now forlorn expression, withdrawn to her fate.

She was alive and well and he would do everything in his power to make sure he never lost her again.

* * *

I'm finally finished with this arc! Thank goodness, too. All the action scenes were taking away from KakaHina time. Haha, they were actually there because I wanted to show Hinata's change in character due to Kakashi's training.

Next up will be the Chuunin Exams. I'm just going to skip through the first exam and the second one. I really want to focus on the preliminary rounds. After that will be invasion and then I can finally start developing Kakashi and Hinata's relationship romantically.


	7. Rivals

"Hinata, scout one kilometer up, would you?" asked Kiba-kun.

Hinata looked at him doubtfully, but did as he said. "There's a fight between three sand genin and rain genin."

To her surprise, Kiba-kun said, "Wahoo! Let's go check it out!"

Both her and Shino-kun tried to dissuaded him, to no avail. Hinata sighed as they ran towards the fight. Really, all she wanted to do was get out of this creepy forest as soon as possible. They had already gotten their scroll, so all they needed to do was get to the tower, but Kiba-kun was being stubborn.

When they reached the scene, Akamaru started shaking. Hinata looked at him fearfully when Kiba-kun explained that the big rain guy that was facing a red-haired, black-rimmed eyes was trouble.

The rain genin made a rain of needles fall upon the red-haired sand genin, but to Hinata's surprise, the genin had sand defend him. _'That defense is good. It is probably as good as, or better, than the Kaiten,'_ thought Hinata.

The tall sand genin started talking. "Gaara can control the sand in his gourd and the sand around him with his will. You guys never had a chance."

Hinata watched in horror as the three rain genin were killed mercilessly by the red-haired boy. Her horror turned to fear when the sand genin with the gourd turned towards their hiding spot and spoke. "I'm not done yet."

Hinata and her teammates shivered. They had to get out of here!

Thankfully, the boy's siblings talked him out of it. They certainly weren't close siblings, observed Hinata. The red-haired boy only sneered at their attempts to placate him, but left the area.

Hinata exhaled in relief. Kiba-kun cleared up what he said earlier. "What Akamaru was talking about was that the rain guy was in trouble. That sand kid was going to kill him." He shivered. "We've got to avoid him as much as possible, you guys."

Shino-kun nodded. "Now you see that we must head towards the tower as fast as possible."

They all agreed mutely and set off.

* * *

A pale sickly man asked them if they wanted to quit. Sasuke would've snorted if the pain wasn't so bad. Much to his surprise, Kabuto quit. He looked at him and then turned his attention to all the people that passed.

His eyes narrowed when he saw Gaara. He really wanted to fight him. A Hyuuga boy was in front of Lee. _'Is that the strongest Leaf genin?'_ he wondered. His neck burned in pain, but he grit his teeth. He had to bear the pain because he wanted to fight so many people. He had to test his strength.

Sasuke finally looked at Hinata. _'Looks like her team made it.'_ He smirked. Maybe then he would finally get to fight her as well.

Sakura cut through his thoughts. "Sasuke-kun, it hurts, right?" He looked at her in an annoyed way. "Please, Sasuke-kun, quit! You're in no condition to be fighting, so please!"

He stared at her. "Shut up, Sakura. I have to do this, so mind your own business." He watched her bite her lip. He sighed. He knew he was being harsh, but he had to do this!

"Ok, we'll have the board select your opponent. For those of you who are not fighting, please step up to the stands," coughed the proctor.

* * *

Hinata watched Sasuke's match with interest. He was holding up pretty well against the chakra stealing genin. Sasuke finished the battle with a complicated taijutsu move. Her eyes narrowed. She had seen Neji-niisan's teammate use that once before. _'Has he fought Lee-san before? If he has, then he must've copied it with his Sharingan.'_

Hinata looked at Kakashi-sensei curiously when he took Sasuke away. She thought Sasuke should've gotten medical attention for sure.

She turned her attention to Shino-kun's match. He won easily. "Congratulations, Shino-kun. Th-that was great." He nodded.

She looked at Naruto-kun's team in surprise. Kakashi-sensei was back. She excused herself from her team and hesitantly walked towards them.

"H-hello, Sakura-san, Naruto-kun, Kakashi-sensei."

The trio looked at her. Sakura-san gave her a cold smile. "Hi, Hinata-san."

Hinata looked at her and gasped. "W-what happened to your l-long hair?"

The pink-haired girl ran a hand through her newly cut hair. It was cut a few inches above her shoulders. "Ah, I decided on a new image. How does it look?"

Hinata smiled. "It looks g-great, Sakura-san."

To her surprise, Naruto-kun whined. "Ne, ne, Sakura-chan, I really liked your hair when it was longer!"

Hinata felt a familiar ache in her stomach. _'He'll never notice me,'_ she thought sadly.

Sakura-san gave him a hard punch, then turned her attention to the board and inhaled sharply. "I'm against Ino."

Hinata looked at her with a sympathetic look. _'This is going to be a hard match.'_ She remembered when the two used to be good friends. They suddenly stopped talking during the third year in the academy, though. She heard it had been something about Sasuke.

At the thought of Sasuke, she shivered inwardly. _'Thank Kami none of the fangirls beside Sakura saw his blush that day.' _If a fangirl's love for Sasuke could break up friends, what would happen to her when they saw her as a rival? She didn't want to think about that. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kakashi-sensei eying her oddly. She offered him a small smile and mouthed 'Sasuke.' He nodded with an amused glint in his eye.

Hinata watched the two girls' match. They used basic ninjutsu and taijutsu but they were doing better than she'd ever seen before. _'I guess when you're fighting against your rival, your whole fighting style gets better.'_

Sakura's chakra control was near perfect, she observed. She created three bunshin and focused her chakra to her feet without missing a beat, wasting no chakra. To her surprise, Ino cut off her long hair in anger and attempted her clan's mind jutsu. Hinata was astonished when Ino told Sakura it was just an act. _'They're both different from when they were in the academy.'_ She was happy for them, but she also knew that she herself was different from before. With her teammates' help, and her two wonderful sensei, she had been able to improve herself immensely.

Her confidence slightly ebbed away when her match finally came. _'I'm up against N-Neji-niisan?'_

Hinata's heart thumped wildly as she faced her cousin. Forcing herself to stay calm, she observed his body language. _'He's confident. He thinks that it will be an easy win!'_ she thought in dismay.

"I never thought I'd be going up against you, Hinata-sama," said Neji-niisan lightly.

"N-Neji-niisan…" she stuttered softly.

Her sharp ears picked up Naruto-kun's conversation with his team about the Hyuuga clan. Kakashi-sensei and, to her amazement, Lee-san, explained to him about the Main and Branch houses and the Hyuuga fighting style. _'I didn't think he knew so much.'_ She glanced at the bowl-cut haired boy. His eyes were slightly narrowed as he stared at Neji-niisan. _'His rival is Neji-niisan?'_

"Your match may begin!" coughed Hayate-san.

She turned to face Neji-niisan apprehensively. "Hinata-sama, before we begin I would like to tell you something. Give up now. You will lose to me; it is something fate decided before we were born."

Feeling anger beginning to build up in her, she asked him a stiff question. "What makes you think t-that I'll let fate d-decide my future?"

To her satisfaction, Neji-niisan's calm face distorted angrily. "It was written in our destinies! You are weak and you have no confidence in yourself! Your peaceful nature will overrule your abilities as a ninja, Hinata-sama."

Though she tried not to let it show, she was slightly shaken by his words. She couldn't help but remember her nightmares. Ever since she had that dream before she met her genin team, it had become a recurring nightmare. Only after the mission to guard Tazuna-san did they stop. Now the memory of it was hitting her full-force as Neji-niisan's words hit her. She started to shake uncontrollably.

"You want to run away from here, don't you, Hinata-sama," said Neji-niisan. "I can see your feelings with my byakugan. Right now you are fighting a losing battle. You are weak," he hissed.

She clenched her fists, trying to stop herself from trembling. She felt hopelessness well in her. Suddenly, a loud voice cut through her vapid thoughts.

"HINATA! DON'T LET THAT GUY BRING YOU DOWN!" She looked up and stared at Naruto-kun in amazement. He smiled winningly at her. "Don't you remember how you handled that eyebrowless freak's clone? And how you saved Sasuke? You're AMAZING, HINATA!"

Naruto-kun's cheer filled her with inspiration, but it wasn't until she stared into Kakashi-sensei's pride-filled eye that strength flowed into her. Confidence flooded her and she steeled herself.

It was time to fight her own rival.

* * *

Kakashi felt his heart clench with anger at the Hyuuga boy's words. Hinata had worked so hard and the boy couldn't see it. His hateful words were bringing down Hinata's hard-earned confidence. Kakashi could see that she was beginning to lose it.

To Kakashi's surprise, Naruto shouted out at her loudly, cheering her on. Kakashi looked at Hinata and saw that the girl was looking into his eye. He smiled at her, trying to convey his faith in her.

It worked. The girl smiled softly at him before turning on her byakugan. "Let us fight, Neji-niisan!"

"I see that you will not back down." The boy slid into his stance. "I'm not responsible for what happens here, Hinata-sama."

The girl nodded. "This is my choice to fight you, niisan. For you are my rival!"

* * *

Hinata jumped back, swiftly making a hand seal. She knew that Neji-niisan had the upper hand in taijutsu so she would have to catch him by surprise. "Mizu bunshin no jutsu!" She made six water clones. All six ran towards Neji-niisan.

With Neji-niisan now occupied, she did a back flip, landing on the wall behind her. She watched with satisfaction as one of her clones landed a hit on Neji-niisan.

When only one clone was left, Hinata jumped off the wall and dashed towards him full-on, pumping chakra to her legs. She sent a chakra-filled palm strike to Neji-niisan's chest. It hit him hard and sent him flying.

Neji-niisan stood up slowly and glared at her. "You got lucky, Hinata-sama. Now it's time for you to face defeat."

His byakugan flaring, he ran towards her. His speed surprising her, she just barely moved out of the way and slapped his arm away. His other arm came up and caught her unawares, hitting a tenketsu in her shoulder.

Hinata grimaced and pushed him away, carefully landing a two-fingered strike on his side. Giving her no time to rest, Neji-niisan turned towards her and the two engaged in a fierce battle of chakra-filled taijutsu.

Hinata knew she had to end this quickly. Her shoulder was numb and she could already feel her chakra moving sluggishly in her body from all the closed tenketsu.

A sharp kick from Neji-niisan sent her flying backward. She landed on her back in the water from her water clones.

She looked up blearily, trying to ignore the pain. One of Kakashi-sensei's lessons came to her as she struggled to sit up.

"_Hinata-chan," said Kakashi-sensei. "As a shinobi, you will be forced to fight opponents that are physically stronger than you." A ten-year old Hinata nodded in understanding. "How would you defeat someone stronger than you?_

_Hinata contemplated this. "I would… have to outsmart them._

_Kakashi-sensei nodded, his single eye smiling. "That's right. Using your mind and intuition, you can find a way to beat an opponent by exploiting their weakness and using it against them. Now let's work on your spur of the moment thinking. In a fight, one must be able to adapt to any situation." Hinata nodded unquestioningly._

'_Neji-niisan is stronger than me, so that means I must come up with a plan to outsmart him,'_ thought Hinata in dismay. _'How will I do that, though? Neji-niisan is not known as the prodigy of the Branch family for nothing!'_

Hinata watched in alarm as Neji-niisan ran towards her with his byakugan eyes glaring at her. Seeing his eyes made her remember something. _'The blind spot of the byakugan!'_

With that in mind, she swiftly dodged his attack and turned off her byakugan, making Neji-niisan narrow his eyes. Hinata molded her chakra and whispered, "Hidden Mist no Jutsu."

A thick, heavy mist filled the arena. Hinata closed her eyes and picked through the sounds in the mist. Neji-niisan's breathing came from a spot… behind her! She spun around and threw a pair of shuriken at him. As she expected, he deflected them with his kunai perfectly. His distraction allowed her to do a jutsu she had seen Naruto-kun do many times. Three shadow clones popped into existence.

She couldn't make many clones because her chakra reserves were not nearly as immense as Naruto-kun's, but the clones definitely gave her an advantage in a fight with another byakugan user. Even byakugan could not discern between the clones and the user.

This meant that Neji-niisan could not tell which of her was real. This would allow her to target his blind spot with no complications.

She and her clones ran towards Neji-niisan with their eyes closed. Neji-niisan defended himself against her and her clones attacks, albeit with difficulty.

Hinata made two more clones and sent them towards Neji-niisan just before he sent a two-fingered strike at her. She quickly kawarimi'd with one of her clones and appeared from behind him, the tips of her fingers just barely ghosting his neck before he spun around and sent a powerful palm strike to Hinata's heart.

* * *

Kakashi was surprised when Hinata suddenly turned off her byakugan after being thrown away by Neji's kick. _'Has she run out of chakra?'_ he wondered.

His surprise turned into understanding when a heavy mist filled the arena. _'She's going to use Zabuza's method.'_

"Wow, Hinata-chan is using Zabuza's technique!" yelled Naruto.

"I wonder where she learned it," said Sakura. Kakashi smiled at the hint of jealousy on her face. _'Usually it's Hinata that's the jealous one. Now it's Sakura's turn, I guess.'_

Kakashi turned to her. "She probably had her byakugan on when Zabuza used it. Hinata can copy techniques in her own way with her byakugan." His smile widened at his genin's and Gai's look-alike's shocked faces.

"How does she do that, Kakashi-san?" asked Lee.

"You know how the byakugan can see the chakra circulatory system?" The three genin nodded. "Well, from seeing how a person molds their chakra and memorizing their hand seals, she can copy a jutsu effortlessly. I've been teaching her different types of ninjutsu this way for years now. It takes a few tries, but she usually gets it."

"I did not know Hinata-san was so incredible," said Lee with a strange fire in his eyes. "I now wish to fight Neji's cousin as well! YOSH!"

Kakashi's eye crinkled with mirth. _'First Sasuke and now him. I wonder if he'll get a crush as well.' _ He doubted it, judging from the boy's sidelong glances at Sakura.

"Hinata really is amazing," said Naruto in an awe-filled voice.

To his surprise, Sakura looked down in a depressed way. "Sakura," he said. The girl looked at him. "You are strong in your own right. You've gone a long way from the follower of Sasuke to a bright kunoichi." He was relieved when she brightened up.

Kakashi wondered briefly why he had reassured her and why it mattered to him that she wasn't depressed anymore. He usually didn't bother trying to comfort kunoichi. With their dangerous mood swings, he tried to avoid them mostly.

His question was forgotten when Hinata flew out of the mist and hit the ground hard.

"HINATA!" yelled Naruto, his hands clenching to the railing.

Kakashi felt the fear he felt when he saw Hinata covered in needles well up in him when she stood up, only to go down on her knees coughing up blood.

She coughed like that for a few minutes before the mist cleared up completely, allowing everyone to see her opponent.

A low hush filled the room when everyone saw Neji. The boy looked like he had taken a few hits but was still standing tall. His voice filled the area, oddly strained.

"You see, Hinata-sama," he said between breaths. "Your destiny was to lose against me in this match."

To everyone's surprise, he started coughing up blood as well. Hinata stood up shakily and shot him a soft smile. "Neji-niisan. It s-seems like my h-hit's finally affecting you," she said in a soft, panting voice.

"It was a lucky hit, Hinata-sama," denied the boy. Kakashi snorted at this. Hinata had obviously hit him because of her well thought out plan.

"N-Neji-niisan," said Hinata as she slid into her Hyuuga stance. "It seems to m-me that you are the one fighting y-your destiny."

The boy's eyes narrowed dangerously. "What do you mean, Hinata-sama?"

"Y-you are fighting so hard against m-me because I am from the m-main family. You wish to break away f-from the division and b-become your own ninja." Hinata's byakugan flared to life. "I will not let you win so easily though, because you… you are my precious rival!"

With that said, she ran towards Neji, her palm held out offensively. Kakashi watched the boy's angered expression as he also ran towards Hinata. To Kakashi's disbelief, Neji pushed aside her palm and slammed her in her chest.

The girl flew backward and fell to the ground, unmoving. Feeling his chest tighten, he watched as the match was called and Neji named the winner. Immediately afterward, the boy landed on his knees, coughing up blood.

Kurenai, Gai, and himself jumped down. Kakashi held her in his arms as Kurenai called for medical attention. "Hinata," he whispered.

The girl's eyes fluttered open. "I lost," she muttered weakly.

"Yes, but you proved your point, Hinata-chan. That was good enough." Kakashi smiled as the girl nodded and fell into unconsciousness.

Kakashi carefully handed her to the medical nins. It was only until they left the room that he realized the answer to his earlier question.

'_I had to reassure Sakura because… because she reminded me of Hinata.'_ Kakashi looked at the closed door in shock. _'Hinata's changed me this much.'_


	8. Conversations

Hinata sighed. It had been two days since her fight with Neji-niisan. She was still in the hospital because they wanted to make sure she healed completely.

She weighed the odds of them catching her escaping. Hinata had to admit, she could make it out of there with little to no trouble at all. Just as she steeled her resolve, her body was racked with hacking coughs. Blood dribbled down her chin.

'_Darn,' _thought Hinata morosely.

A nurse rushed in with a towel in hand and wiped away the blood. "Hinata-san! Are you ok? Do you feel any pain?" she asked as she guided her back to her bed.

Hinata smiled weakly at the concerned nurse. "I'm f-fine, Tanaka-san. Thank you for your c-concern."

The nurse smiled back and gave her a warm drink to take away the taste of the blood.

Hinata stared at the nurse's leaving back. Her escape attempt had been ruined. She would've pouted if she had any energy left. The coughing always left her feeling faint.

A soft knocking at her opened door made her look up. The sight of her silver-haired sensei greeted her. "Yo, Hinata-chan." The man raised up his hand lazily. His other hand was surprisingly devoid of his favorite book.

"Hello, Kakashi-sensei," she said back.

The two stared at each other for a few moments before Kakashi-sensei spoke up. "How are you?"

"Just fine, Kakashi-sensei."

It was a lie and they both knew it. Kakashi-sensei looked at the blood stains on her clothes with a concerned eye, but said nothing.

A peaceful silence filled the room as Hinata tried to gain her strength back and Kakashi-sensei got comfortable leaning against the doorway. When Hinata finally didn't feel like she was about to fall forward, she looked at Kakashi-sensei and broke the silence.

"I almost made it out of here, Kakashi-sensei," she said dejectedly.

Kakashi-sensei looked at her with an amused smile in his eye. "What do you mean by that, Hinata-chan?"

Hinata found the energy to pout slightly. "I could have escaped, but then I started coughing. The nurse came in and ruined my chance." Hinata sighed.

Kakashi-sensei chuckled lightly. "I see." His eye came up to look into hers. "You still haven't healed from your fight?"

"Not yet. Internal injuries are hard to heal, especially if you can't see where the damage is," said Hinata as she tore her gaze from his eye.

She could feel Kakashi-sensei's intense stare on her, but she tried her hardest to ignore it. She heard footsteps approaching her and looked up to see Kakashi-sensei sitting in the chair next to her bed. His single eye looked at hers with a serious look in them.

"You let him hit you, Hinata."

Hinata gasped and started to stutter out a protest. Kakashi-sensei's voice cut through hers. "Why did you do that?" he asked quietly.

Hinata stared at her hands that were lying on her lap. With Kakashi-sensei's astute eye and many years of training her, it was to be expected that he had known that she let Neji-niisan hit her. His last words to her before she blacked out proved that.

She sighed and decided to tell him. "It… it was best for Neji-niisan to win." His eye looked at her questioningly. "By defeating me, he could go to the finals and hopefully become a chuunin. I t-thought it would help ease his pain… if only a little." Hinata looked into Kakashi-sensei's masked face with a pained look on her face. "He lives the life of a caged bird. No matter how strong Neji-niisan is, he will never be able to live up to his potential… because he is of the branch family." Hinata's eyes narrowed when she spoke of the thing that divided her family.

"So you let him hit you at that last moment after you pointed out his own flaws," observed Kakashi-sensei. Hinata nodded silently. Kakashi-sensei sighed. "I thought you had a death wish for a second back there." He placed a gloved hand on her head. "I'm proud of you though. You used Zabuza's technique flawlessly."

Hinata smiled slightly. "Arigatou, Kakashi-sensei. I have wanted to learn that technique for awhile anyways ever since you used it against me. Zabuza's attack seemed like a good chance to learn it."

Kakashi-sensei's eye arched approvingly. To Hinata's surprise, his hand slid down the left side of her face slowly. His fingers brushed against her black-blue locks that framed her face as his palm cupped her cheek. His gray eye gazed into her lavender-tinted ones. "For a second… I thought I would lose you again," he said softly. Hinata stared at him in shock. His hand left her cheek and he stood up abruptly.

"Sorry, Hinata-chan. I won't be able to see you for a month or so. I'll be training Sasuke for the final exam," said Kakashi-sensei in an apologetic tone.

Hinata nodded and Kakashi-sensei left the room with a lazy wave.

Hinata stared at his retreating back with an odd feeling in her chest. She lifted her hand and touched her cheek in wonder. _'His hand was so… warm.'_ Hinata blushed at her thought.

A doctor walked in with a clipboard in his hand. "Hyuuga Hinata?" Hinata looked at him and nodded. "You will be discharged in a few days after we run some tests." Hinata smiled in relief, pushing her strange experience with Kakashi-sensei to the back of her mind. _'I can finally leave this place!'_ she thought joyfully.

* * *

Neji's eyes narrowed when he lip-read what Hinata-sama said. The girl thought that she had _let him _win. Well, he would prove her wrong when he fought the Uzumaki dead-last. He would win and destroy her confidence in the process.

He watched the jounin's sudden display of affection towards Hinata-sama with slight interest. _'They know each other that well? Or is it something else?'_ He dismissed the thought. Such a strong jounin would not hold any feelings towards such a weakling.

True, Hinata-sama had surprised him during the match. She had even managed to land a few hits on him, hard as it was to admit. No matter how much he tried to deny it, the girl put up a fight. But destiny had decided long ago that he was a branch family member and that she was the weak Hyuuga heiress. Fate had deemed him the winner of the match before both of them were born.

* * *

Kakashi walked out of the room calmly. As soon as he rounded the corner, he slumped against the wall and mentally berated himself. _'That was a dangerous move, Kakashi!'_ He couldn't believe that he had touched Hinata like that. _'She's only twelve!' _he mentally screamed.

He really shouldn't have caressed her cheek. He couldn't help it though. She was too cute and innocent. Hinata's pure intentions in letting Neji win were so like her. She was truly a Konoha kunoichi, willing to do anything for her comrades.

Kakashi was so proud to have been one of her instructors.

He couldn't believe that he almost ruined their teacher-student friendship because he couldn't control himself, though. He tried to reassure himself. _'She will always be my student, and I will always be her teacher. That is the way it has been and always will be.'_

For some reason, that didn't help the heavy feeling in his chest.

* * *

Hinata stared out her window listlessly. She was bored out of her mind. For the past week, she went through multiple tests and healings to make sure she was completely healed. Hinata was grateful towards their effort, but she was going insane from boredom.

Loud voices outside her window broke through her boredom. Hinata excitedly ran to her window and looked out. The sight that greeted her dampened her mood considerably.

"156, 157, 158," yelled a green-clad bandaged boy.

A nurse shouted at him fearfully. "Please stop, Lee-san! You'll aggravate your injuries! It's useless to train now!"

Lee-san just ignored her warning and spoke with passion. "I will do 200 pushups without fail!"

Hinata watched him with a heavy heart as he tried to accomplish his goal. She had heard from the nurses that Lee-san would probably not be able to continue his shinobi life due to the extent of his injuries. Hinata had wondered who Lee-san's opponent was when she heard this. Hinata could not say she was surprised when she found out that it was the sand genin, Gaara. She had witnessed the cold, red-headed boy kill three genin without blinking or feeling remorse. Lee-san was lucky to have gotten away with his life.

When Lee-san got to 199, he suddenly started to sway. Without thinking, Hinata jumped out her window and grabbed Lee-san's unconscious body before he hit the ground. "Lee-san!" yelled three female voices.

Hinata stared at his bandaged cheeks and felt tears well up in her eyes. "L-Lee-san…"

Hinata helped the nurse put him on a stretcher and walked with her to his hospital room with a quiet Sakura-san and Ino-san behind her. She gently laid him on his bed and Sakura-san covered him with the sheets. To her surprise, Sakura-san pulled out a daffodil and placed it in a vase on a table beside Lee-san's bed. _'She's changed,'_ mused Hinata thoughtfully.

When they left Lee-san's room, Ino-san turned towards her. "How are you, Hinata-chan?"

Hinata smiled at her. "I'm f-fine, Ino-san. I'll be discharged soon."

The girl nodded and said goodbye, leaving her alone with Sakura-san. Hinata fidgeted uncomfortably. She didn't really think Sakura-san liked her. She assumed it had something to do with Sasuke-san's blush that day.

Sakura-san surprised her yet again when she said, "I'm glad you're going to be fine, Hinata-san."

Hinata looked at her with amazement in her eyes.

Sakura-san laughed softly. "I guess you must think I don't like you." Hinata tried to stutter out a protest, but Sakura-san ignored it. "I'm sorry, Hinata-san." Hinata was rendered speechless at her sudden apology.

"I was actually jealous of you." Hinata could not say a thing as the girl continued on. "At the academy, I was the highest scoring kunoichi in the academic portion, while you were the highest scoring kunoichi in the physical portion. On our mission, you noticed that those two mist chuunin were going to attack us, you made a plan to save Kakashi-sensei, and you saved Sasuke-kun's life."

Hinata interrupted her. "S-Sasuke-san's life was never actually in d-danger. Plus, he got hit a-anyways."

Sakura-san's lips curved into a sad smile. "But you took his hit, intending to save his life. That was more than what I did. I still don't know what I would have done if I was in your position. And then Sasuke-kun started to look at you. It was just small glances, but he always had a small blush on his face. I was so jealous, Hinata-san." At this, tears started to fall down the pink-haired girl's cheeks. Hinata watched her with trepidation. "I'm sorry."

The pink-haired girl covered her face with her hands as her sobbing started to shake her body. "Y-you're s-so brave! And… and I-I'm so w-weak! I couldn't even stop him from m-marking Sasuke-kun! I could only watch Naruto get beaten unconscious. I was useless to my teammates when th-they needed me the most!"

Hinata felt tears start at her eyes. _'She's so much like me…'_

The girl's sobs filled the empty hallway. "Sakura-san," said Hinata softly. "I don't think you're weak at all." The sobbing girl looked up tearfully. "When we were on the mission… I was glad to have you as back up. You're ninja knowledge is so amazing that you completed Ibiki-san's test without cheating. You were the first person I looked at for the answers." Both girls laughed slightly, a watery smile adorning Sakura-san's pretty face.

That look made Hinata decide to tell the girl her own inner secret. "A-actually… I'm jealous of you too." Hinata smiled faintly at the girl's shocked expression. "You're so p-pretty, Sakura-san. You're emerald eyes can capture anyone's sight. I admire the way you can express yourself so well. And even when you lose confidence in yourself, you do not show it." Hinata hesitated before adding, "I'm j-jealous of the fact that you hold N-Naruto-kun's attention so easily."

Both Hinata and Sakura-san were quiet as they contemplated each other's words. Sakura-san finally broke the silence. "You… like Naruto?!"

Hinata blushed. "I… I admire him a lot," she admitted shyly.

"Now that I think about it… You're always there when he needs help or something." To Hinata's surprise, Sakura-san wiped her eyes and grinned at her. "That's soooo CUTE!"

Hinata's blush deepened. Hinata was glad that Sakura-san had stopped crying, but she inwardly groaned. _'Another person to tease me about Naruto-kun!'_

When Sakura-san's eyes were finally dry and her cheeks were clean, she looked at Hinata with a happy smile on her face. "I'm glad that I got to talk to you, Hinata-san. Thank you for cheering me up, even after how mean I've been to you."

Hinata smiled back at her. "I-it was no problem, Sakura-san. I'm g-glad I can help out a friend."

To Hinata's relief, Sakura-san's smile brightened. "I'm glad I can be your friend, Hinata-san." The two walked to the end of the hallway in a comfortable silence.

When they reached the end of the hallway, some of Sakura-san's words came back to her. "Sasuke-san was marked? What do you mean by that?" she asked worriedly.

Sakura-san's smile slid off her face. "I promised I wouldn't tell anyone. But since it's you, Hinata-san, I'll tell you." The girl breathed in before she said, "I'm not sure who the guy is, but his name is Orochimaru. He gave Sasuke-kun a curse seal. He said that it… it would make Sasuke-kun seek him for power." Sakura-san looked at Hinata with an anxious look. "I'm scared… that Sasuke-kun really will look for that Orochimaru guy. He seems so dangerous."

Hinata looked at the girl in shock. _'Sasuke-san? Sasuke-san will betray the village to look for him? Is it because of Itachi?'_

"Thank you for telling me this, Sakura-san." Hinata looked at the girl. "I-if you ever catch him l-leaving Konoha… Sakura-san, what would you do?"

The pink-haired girl's steps faltered and she stopped walking. "I don't know. I honestly don't know, Hinata-san."

* * *

Shorter chapter than usual, but I couldn't think of anything to write about before the Chuunin Exam Finals.

Hope you guys like the KakaHina moment though. I don't want their romantic feelings to be too strong, because Hinata is still a pre-teen. How weird would it be for a grown-up to go after a twelve year old? Lol, so no major attraction until Hinata reaches her teen years.

Oh, and thanks for everyone's amazing reviews. Everyone's reviews are so encouraging. I love reading your feedback and thoughts on this fic. :)

Don't underestimate the power of a review!


	9. Uchiha Itachi

Rain fell endlessly, hopelessly. It soaked through everyone's clothes and numbed people's bodies with coldness. On any other day, it would be bothersome. Today, however, most people welcomed it. The coldness kept their weary hearts together, the numbness helped the shinobi keep up the façade of showing no emotion.

The rain helped conceal their tears.

"We are here today to mourn the passing of many shinobi of the Leaf. Our great Sandaime Hokage was one of those people. He will always be remembered…"

The tears fell relentlessly down the cheeks of the shinobi that allowed it.

Everyone paid their respects to the deceased and left quietly, sluggishly. Some were reeling from shock, some resigned to the fates of those precious to them. Many were trying to hide it, others were too lost to care. One thing was the same from these people, these shinobi.

They all had the will of fire in them. They all knew the preciousness of their bonds and the pain of losing them. They all grew stronger from it.

* * *

Hinata flew across the rooftops of Konoha with a worried heart. She jumped to avoid a ruined shop and a house in ruins. Her byakugan active, she scoured the area in search of Kakashi-sensei's apartment. A tree covered in kunai alerted her to his location and she easily found his chakra signature, which was surrounded by other familiar ones.

She jumped through his open window with ease. "Kakashi-sensei," she whispered as she looked at his prone form on his bed.

"Hinata? What are you doing here?" asked Kurenai-sensei.

Hinata looked at her sensei in surprise. "Kurenai-sensei?" She turned to look at the other jounin in the room. "Asuma-san? Gai-sensei?" The three jounin looked at her, confusedly. "I… Kakashi-sensei usually visits the memorial stone… H-he wasn't there today… I was worried... so I came here."

"How do you know where Kakashi lives?" asked Asuma-san bluntly.

Hinata blushed at his unexpected question. "I came here once w-when I was younger. I just u-used my byakugan to f-find the tree he throws kunai at."

The three jounin's looked at her, curiosity written in their expressions. "How would you find his apartment by looking for a tree covered in kunai?" asked Kurenai-sensei.

Hinata's blush deepened. "He's a-always complaining about the b-birds outside his window. He s-says that their dodging s-skills are growing too m-much for his liking. Knowing h-his personality, h-he probably throws kunai at them e-every morning."

The jounin's confusion grew more pronounced at her explanation. "Even I didn't know that," muttered Asuma-san.

Hinata decided to change the subject. "W-what happened to Kakashi-sensei?"

The jounin's confusion was replaced with contemplative faces. Hinata's heart dropped. _'What's wrong?'_

Gai-sensei spoke up. "He was fighting a dangerous enemy and passed out due to chakra exhaustion."

Hinata nodded, but her shinobi skills noted the undertone of worry in his voice and the other two jounin's tense bodies. She quietly activated her byakugan and observed Kakashi-sensei's chakra system.

'_His chakra is fluctuating wildly! This looks like the work of a… genjutsu? And such a strong one at that…'_

Hinata kept her observations to herself, seeing how the jounin were now shooting dangerous looks at Gai-sensei. It looked like they didn't want her to know that.

Quiet footsteps outside Kakashi-sensei's door alerted the ninja to a person's presence. Everyone was silent as the door opened. "Kakashi?"

To Hinata's surprise, it was Sasuke. He looked at Kakashi-sensei's resting body in shock. "Why is Kakashi sleeping?" He looked at the jounin and herself. "What are you three doing here? And why are you here, Hinata?"

Hinata looked at him, trying to mask her worry. "N-nothing really…"

Loud footsteps came running down the hallway. A sunglassed man rushed into the room. "Is it true that Uchiha Itachi has really returned? And that he's looking for Naruto?" He looked at Sasuke and her in shock. "Ah…"

Kurenai-sensei slumped. "Idiot."

Hinata took in the information quietly. _'Uchiha Itachi… is looking for Naruto-kun? What for?!'_ Worry for Naruto-kun clouded her heart.

Sasuke ran out of the room, leaving the five ninja in there.

Gai-sensei glared at the sunglassed man. "Now you've let Sasuke know. I bet he's gone after them." He stood up and made to leave the room. "I'll go after him."

Surprising herself and the others, Hinata grabbed his arm. "P-please, Gai-sensei! Let me g-go with you," she said, her voice filled with determination.

Kurenai-sensei looked at her in shock. "Hinata, you have no idea what's going on. Sasuke is looking for Uchiha Itachi. You won't be able to do anything against him."

Hinata looked at her with resolute eyes. "Kurenai-sensei. If there is anything I can do for Naruto-kun and Sasuke-san, then I wish to do so." She paused and added, "Even if I lose my life."

A solemn silence filled the room. Kurenai-sensei sighed. "Gai?"

Hinata turned to the man in question and looked hopefully into his eyes. The green-clad man smiled brilliantly at her, his teeth almost blinding her. "I admire your youthful spirit, cousin of Neji! Let us see what you can do, Hinata-san."

Hinata smiled back. "Thank you, Gai-sensei."

"Be careful," warned Kurenai-sensei.

"Of course, Kurenai-sensei." She looked at Kakashi-sensei. "I don't want to make Kakashi-sensei w-worry after all."

* * *

Byakugan active, Hinata ran through the village searching for any sign of Sasuke and Naruto. Her eyes caught sight of an intense battle occurring in a hotel.

"Gai-sensei! A fight is occurring over there!"

The man nodded and they set off towards the fighting. Hinata watched Sasuke get beat brutally into the wall by a long-haired man. He and another man wore black cloaks with red clouds on it. Sasuke suddenly cried out in pain and slumped down. _'Genjutsu? The same as what happened to Kakashi-sensei?'_ Hinata narrowed her eyes. _'Uchiha Itachi.'_

As they neared it, the building was engulfed in an... odd fleshy thing. "That's a strange ninjutsu," commented Gai-sensei. Hinata nodded in agreement.

She observed the fight with great interest. "Jiraiya-sama? Jiraiya-sama is in there..."

Gai-sensei looked at her in shock. "Jiraiya hasn't returned to the village in years... and he's here now?! Amazing!"

The two cloaked ninja escaped using an odd fire jutsu. _'The fire's black,'_ mused Hinata.

Before Hinata could inform Gai-sensei of this, he jumped in the flesh and sent a spinning kick towards Jiraiya-sama's face. "Dynamic Entry!"

Hinata's byakugan could see the priceless looks on Jiraiya-sama and Gai-sensei's faces and had to stifle her giggles. She walked inside and said, "G-gomen, Jiraiya-sama…"

The man looked at her. Hinata couldn't hold it in anymore and giggled. His nose was bleeding!

"Jiraiya! I am so sorry! I didn't mean to hit you. I just blindly rushed in… Ehehe…" Gai-sensei rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. Hinata tried to conceal her amusement.

"Hinata-chan?" asked Naruto-kun.

Hinata looked at him and blushed. "H-hello, Naruto-kun." Her eyes trailed off and landed on Sasuke. "Sasuke!" she gasped.

She ran to him and started scanning his body with her byakugan. "He's… he's got a fractured rib… And his chakra is fluctuating wildly… almost… almost like how Kakashi-sensei's was…" She looked at Gai-sensei. "Gai-sensei… was Kakashi-sensei attacked by the same thing Sasuke-san was?" The man nodded solemnly. Hinata looked at Sasuke's prone form. "Such a strong genjutsu…"

Jiraiya-sama and Naruto-kun's stares brought her out of her reverie. "Sasuke-san needs to go to the hospital," she informed them.

"You're right… Hinata-chan, was it?" asked Jiraiya-sama. She nodded hesitantly. He sent a strange look her way. "In a few years… I imagine you'll be a stunner!" He flashed a toothy grin at Hinata. Hinata blushed, not believing her ears. _'This… this old man saying this…'_

"OI! YOU ERO-SENNIN! Look who you're talking to! This is Hinata-chan! Don't be a pervert!" yelled Naruto-kun. Hinata's heart flushed with warmth at Naruto-kun's defending words.

Naruto-kun turned to Jiraiya-sama. "Ero-sennin! What the hell did that guy do to Sasuke!? Let's go after him!" His look turned murderous, and a strange chakra started filling the room. Hinata recognized it as the kind that he had pulled upon during his match with Neji-niisan. **"I've got something to settle with him!"**

Hinata watched him closely, her eyes seeing an odd red chakra. She inaudibly gasped when she noticed that his eyes were red and his pupils were slit. _'What does this mean? Does this have anything to do with his fast healing…?'_

"Calm down, Naruto," said Jiraiya-sama. "Right now, you are no match for that guy." The man blocked the exit with his body. "If you go after him now, you'll just be giving them what they want."

"I can't just wait for them! I don't want to spend every day fearing for my life!"

"SHUT UP! Listen, Naruto! You are weak right now!" yelled Jiraya-sama.

Hinata flinched for him. _'Such harsh words…'_

"Anyways, Gai, we've got to rescue Sasuke as fast as possible."

Hinata and Gai-sensei nodded. "Kakashi is also afflicted by this jutsu. Right now, he is resting until he's recovered his senses."

"Kakashi-sensei?!" exclaimed Naruto-kun.

Hinata looked at him sadly. "Y-yes, Naruto-kun. Kakashi-sensei is resting at his apartment right now."

Jiraiya-sama looked thoughtful. "I guess this means that I'll have to go look for _that _person…"

Gai-sensei looked at him, shock written in his eyes. "_That_ person… as in!"

"Yup, she's one of the three sannin like me. Now's as good of a time as ever to bring her back to Konoha."

Hinata and Naruto-kun listened to their conversation curiously. _'Who are they talking about?'_

"Who were you guys talking about?" asked Naruto-kun as they left the hotel building.

Gai-sensei shifted Sasuke's position and replied, "We were talking about Tsunade-sama. She is the one of the best healers in the Five Shinobi territories and one of the three great Sannin!"

Hinata gasped excitedly. "Tsunade-sama? I-I've always wanted to m-meet her… And… she'll heal Kakashi-sensei, Lee-san, and Sasuke-san!"

"GREAT!" yelled Naruto-kun. Hinata smiled at him fondly, her spirit rising. _'Kakashi-sensei will be healed!'_

They finally reached the edge of the small town. Gai-sensei turned to the pair and gave them a "good guy pose."

"Please bring Tsunade-sama back! Good luck!" Hinata quickly averted her eyes as he flashed them a blinding smile. She didn't think her sensitive eyes could withstand anymore of those.

"Don't worry, we'll find her!" shouted Naruto-kun. "Take care of Sasuke, thick brows! Hinata-chan!"

"Hai," said Hinata firmly.

Gai-sensei grinned at Naruto-kun. "I like you, kid. You've got guts. How about I give you this? This was what made Lee as strong as he is today!"

Hinata smiled at Naruto-kun's anxious pleas of "What? What?"

Gai-sensei reached his hands into his pack and pulled out a… green jumpsuit. Hinata tried, and failed, to hold in her laughter. Her cheeks flushed when she realized all three males' eyes were on her. She bit her lip to avoid embarrassing herself further, her body shaking to withhold her amusement.

"This! This jumpsuit is ultimate bodysuit! It's easy to access and helps you train to your fullest without worrying about your clothes getting damaged! Lee wears it everyday and you all know how his hard work has paid off!" ranted Gai-sensei.

Hinata placed a hand over her mouth, trying to stifle her laughter, when Naruto-kun yelled, "Coooool!" The body suit did look helpful in the fact that it did not get in the way… but… it was just so… form-fitting! _'And odd-looking…'_ she mentally added.

She was amused to see that Jiraiya-sama shared her same thoughts on the odd thing.

Hinata gave Naruto-kun a quiet, "Good luck," before she left with Gai-sensei.

The walk home was a quiet one, not counting Gai-sensei's loud exclamations of how youthful Naruto-kun was and how she was a blooming beauty of Konoha… or something like that. Hinata nodded every now and then at what he was saying, fearing that if she opened her mouth, she might burst out laughing. She didn't want to be _rude_.

However, when the Konoha gates were starting to come into view, Gai-sensei asked her something surprising. "How is it that you know my hip rival, Kakashi, Hinata-san?"

Hinata was quiet for a long second before answering. "Kakashi-sensei t-trains me sometimes… on his f-free time."

Gai-sensei nodded in understanding. "That makes sense. Your match against Neji was most youthful. I recognized the cool manner you donned while coming up with a plan. You executed it most youthfully. Truly commendable as a pupil of Kakashi."

Hinata blushed at his praise. "A-arigatou, Gai-sensei."

When they finally neared the gates, Hinata remembered what he said about Kakashi-sensei. "Kakashi-sensei is your… rival?"

To her surprise, Gai-sensei laughed heartily before answering. "Yes, blooming flower! Kakashi is my undeniable rival! We were tied in our challenges only until recently! Our score is now 49 to 50, in my precious rival's favor! When Kakashi wakes up, I will make sure to change it!" He held out his thumb and made the "good guy pose," his teeth shining brightly.

Hinata nodded numbly at his antics. She truly respected the man, yes, but he was… eccentric, to say the least.

She and Gai-sensei walked to the hospital and dropped off Sasuke-san.

"Do you wish for me to take you home, Hinata-san?" asked Gai-san, chivalrously.

Hinata shook her head. "T-that's ok, Gai-sensei. I'm going to head over to Kakashi-sensei's house."

The green-clad man looked at her, a strange look gracing his features. "You're... you're going to go to Kakashi's house?"

"H-hai... I'm worried about him."

"Alright, then! I shall check up on Lee's progress. Good bye, fair lily of Konoha!"

Hinata giggled softly and said, "Good bye." She set out walking towards Kakashi's apartment, wondering if she should buy him a gift.

* * *

Gai watched the girl walk gracefully down the street, a small smile on his lips. _'She's a nice girl,'_ he thought. _'That's good, though, for Kakashi's sake. I'm glad that he has such a fair maiden watching over him. He deserves it.'_

Thoughts of his rival made him gasp. "I must run two hundred laps around Konoha to surpass my "cool" rival!" With that, he set off.

* * *

_'My head hurts,'_ thought Kakashi miserably, as he tried to push himself into a sitting position. Strong, tender hands helped him up.

"Are you feeling alright, Kakashi-sensei?" asked a familiar, soft voice.

He blearily looked up into Hinata's lavender eyes and smiled weakly. "Of course, Hinata-chan."

"Heh, you got beat by only two enemies, Kakashi?" said a loud voice, making Kakashi's head pound. "I thought you were a genius."

Kakashi looked up and saw a surprising sight. "Tsunade-sama?"

The busty, blonde woman smirked. "The one and only."

Beside her, Gai spoke up. "Forget this idiot, Tsunade-sama! Please go look at my precious student!"

The two walked off, leaving him and Hinata alone in his room. Kakashi sat there, trying to recover his wits, when the soft-spoken girl murmured, "Kakashi-sensei..."

He looked at her and was horrified to see tears in her eyes. "W-what, Hinata? Why are you crying?"

The girl hastily wiped her eyes. "S-sorry. I... I was just so worried, Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi grabbed the hand that was wiping her eyes and smiled gently at her shocked face. "You don't have to worry, Hinata-chan. I won't die that easily."

He watched her lips form a small smile before tears started rolling down her cheeks, much to his dismay. Hinata giggled softly at his expression before speaking up. "I'm just h-happy that you're ok." She lifted her other hand up and wiped her cheeks. "S-seeing you... bedridden... hurt. I-I'm glad that you're better now, Kakashi-sensei."

They sat there in a comfortable silence for a while. Kakashi unconsciously started rubbing the girl's hand before he realized what he was doing. He felt his cheeks warm up slightly as he quickly let go of her hand.

There was an awkward silence before the girl spoke up softly. "K-Kakashi-sensei... I'll go buy you, umm... dinner! I'll be back." She spun around and ran out the door quickly, but not before Kakashi saw the dark red on her cheeks. He felt his mouth widen into a grin at the thought of him making her blush like that. _'She usually reserves those blushes for Naruto.'_

Kakashi looked at his room, noticing the clean state of it. He'd been out for a week or two, so how did it get so clean? A small vase filled with fresh flowers answered his question. _'It was Hinata.'_

He smiled goofily as he thought of the kind girl. He laid down, his chest warmed by the fact that she cared so much about him. Before he knew it, he was overcome by weariness and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

It was a dark, cool night; the moon was shining brightly and the stars were twinkling teasingly. Hinata smiled as she walked along the empty streets of Konoha peacefully. There was just something so beautiful about it all.

Her happiness dimmed somewhat as she passed a broken house. Buildings were in shambles and there were huge gaping holes in the Konoha walls. So much had happened during the Chuunin Exams. There had been an invasion from the Sound and Sand villages and the Third Hokage had died in a fight with Orochimaru. Sadness filled her heart as she thought of all the sacrifices that were made because of it. All the villagers were working together and rebuilding their broken village.

After the whole affair was over, Uchiha Itachi had come back to the village and injured Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke-san with a strong genjutsu. But due to Naruto-kun and Jiraiya-sama's efforts, they found the great healer, Tsunade-sama, and she healed them! The most surprising thing was that she also became the Fifth Hokage.

Hinata's reminiscing was cut short when she came across a sad sight.

"Sasuke-kun! Please, don't leave!"

Hinata melted into the darkness when she heard Sakura-san's desperate words. She observed Sasuke's cold punch to Sakura-san's back after she threatened to scream, which would alert surrounding shinobi to their location.

Before Sasuke could walk away from Sakura-san's limp body, she appeared behind him suddenly and held a kunai to his neck. "Move, Sasuke-san, and I will not hesitate to use this."

Hinata didn't know how, but she could sense him smirking. "You, Hinata? Will you harm a fellow comrade?"

She bit her lip. She didn't think he would see through her bluff so easily. "Y-you plan on betraying the village... That is enough to hurt you."

Using a speed superior to hers, he disappeared from behind her kunai and sent a sharp kick to her side. She quickly Kawarimi'd and made a hand seal. "Mizu bunshin no jutsu," she muttered. Three water bunshin appeared.

Hinata sent them to capture Sasuke, but he proved to fast for them and cut through them easily. Hinata narrowed her eyes. She ran towards him before quickly disappearing behind him. She sent a two-fingered strike to hit his pressure point but he twisted around and grabbed her fingers with a bone-breaking grip.

"Yield, Hinata." He spoke quietly but Hinata could hear the slight anger in his voice.

"No."

She kicked him in his shins, making him let go of her fingers, but not before she could hear the crunch of them breaking. Gritting her teeth in pain, she quickly activated her byakugan and started to one-handedly attack all the available tenketsu she could hit. He backed up, his Sharingan flaring.

With the both of them now fighting seriously, they found themselves at a standstill. Hinata watched Sasuke's eyes lighten up as though he had come up with a plan. The raven-haired boy let out a shrill whistle.

Hinata's eyes widened when she saw four unfamiliar chakra systems run towards their fight. "You called for back up?" she hissed, anger getting the best of her. With the anger, however, came a slight fear. She couldn't possibly beat five opponents, not when Sakura-san was also vulnerable and she could only fight with one hand.

"You're wasting my time." The boy shrugged, but Hinata's enhanced sight could see the small amount of guilt on his face. _'He's still a Konoha ninja, no matter how much he wants to let go,' _thought Hinata.

His look decided it for her. Hinata made a hand seal and five kage bunshin burst into existence, all surrounding Sasuke. She then ran to Sakura-san and lifted her up on her back, her injured hand clutching at the girl's arm. "Sasuke-san. They're going to come for you." With that said, she jumped onto a roof and made a quick seal with her good hand, using a technique Kakashi-sensei taught her: Leaf Body Flicker.

Hinata disappeared and appeared a hundred feet away. She quickly applied chakra to her feet and rushed towards the hospital, hoping to all the gods that Tsunade-sama was there. Her byakugan noted that the four unknown ninja quickly dispatched her kage bunshin, leaving the gates with Sasuke. A deep sadness filled her. _'Naruto-kun... Kakashi-sensei... Sakura-san... They'll be so upset.'_

* * *

"Couldn't handle her yourself, Sasuke-sama?" asked the girl in a scathing voice.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "I didn't feel like playing with her."

The four nodded, although there was a small hint of glee in some of their faces. Sasuke mutely followed them out of the village, glad that they had not questioned him.

Truthfully, he hadn't wanted to go all out against Hinata. No matter how much he wanted to fight her, with his strength right now, it wouldn't matter if he won or not against the girl. There was also... something else... that made him not want to hit her. Maybe it had something to do with the guilt he had felt when his grip broke her fingers. Or how her eyes had gone cold when she faced him. There had been a fierceness in them, something he wasn't used to seeing in her usually gentle eyes. It had startled him, more so than when Sakura offered to abandon the village and come with him.

It had _hurt, _not that he would ever admit it to anyone.

He pushed away the strange feelings engulfing him, concentrating on what he was doing. He was betraying the village. He was seeking power so he could take his revenge. Dark thoughts filled him and he ignored the pulsating feelings the Hyuuga girl unknowingly made him feel.

* * *

"Tsunade-sama!" yelled Hinata as loudly as she could. Her byakugan scanned the area, not seeing the blonde-haired Hokage.

Hinata gently laid Sakura-san on a hospital bed and jumped out of the window. She made her way to the Hokage's office and inwardly groaned when she saw the woman slumped over on her desk, a bottle of sake in her hands. Hinata felt a desperate feeling overfill her as the sun's first rays of light started creeping over the Hokage Monument.

She jumped through the window easily and shook the Hokage's shoulders softly. "Tsunade-sama."

The woman jerked up and wiped the drool on her cheek. "W-what?" she slurred.

Hinata sighed and reported. "Uchiha Sasuke has left the v-village, Tsunade-sama."

"WHAT!?" roared the woman.

Hinata flinched at her loudness. Her fingers throbbed painfully before she felt a light-headedness come over her. The room started spinning uncontrollably before she lost consciousness completely. The last thing she heard was, "Hinata!" before she passed out from lack of sleep and chakra.

* * *

Okay. Finally, Sasuke has left the village!

I think the next chapter will be during the time-skip. Everyone knows what happens during the Sasuke Retrieval Arc. Nothing's going to be changed. Hinata didn't get to go because of her injury and exhaustion. Sasuke left and Naruto goes with Jiraiya. Yup, that's about it, then.

Please review and thanks in advance. :)


	10. Reunion

My beautiful, wonderful reviewers, what would I do without you guys? Thank you so much for your wonderful support and input.

Oh and to those that requested a certain couple interaction, I'm sorry that I can't write those in. Right now, it's difficult as it is to write KakaHina. Adding in other Hinata pairing interactions would be hard... I don't want it to become a Hinata-harem, because I'm trying to keep everyone as in character as possible. I'm really sorry, but hopefully, in my future fics, I can write requested pairings.

I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

* * *

Kakashi jumped through the tree tops with his nose in his book. _'Jiraiya-sama really is a genius,' _he thought as he re-read the last passage. A slight blush could be seen on what little of his cheek that was visible.

The book disappeared when he could see the village gates approaching. A giddy feeling started up in his chest; his lips were upturned into a small smile. He was home at last!

After a year-long infiltration mission, he was finally where he belonged. It had been a boring S-rank mission. There wasn't much to do as he gained the village's trust, so he had spent most of the mission training himself. Kakashi's chakra level had increased dramatically through intense training and his speed could probably match Uchiha Itachi's. He was looking forward to testing this.

The worst thing about the mission was that he had to represent a warm, respectable man. That meant none of his mature literature. When he had been informed of this, his look of absolute horror had brought the Godaime Hokage to near tears because of her laughing.

_'But now,'_ he thought cheerfully. _'there is nothing between me and my porn!'_

Thinking of his precious Icha Icha books brought back memories of his adorable student, Hyuuga Hinata. He wondered how her training had progressed during his year-long absence. The girl had been shocked when he told her he wouldn't be in Konoha for a year, at least. It had warmed his heart to know that she had been depressed about not being able to see him for a year, rather than him not being able to train her. The selfless girl always brought a smile to his lips.

Something else entered his mind. _'Hinata will probably be nearing fifteen right about now...'_ A pout almost formed on his lips as he thought about how he had missed Konoha Eleven's awkward puberty stage. The absence of the normal twelve made him think of... He stubbornly pushed thoughts of Sasuke away. _'Not now.'  
_

Kakashi walked through the gates, giving a small scroll to the two Chuunin guards, Kotetsu and Izumo. They sent friendly waves his way, and he set off towards the Hokage's office, taking his sweet time.

The beginnings of construction on the Hokage Monunment made him smirk. _'Looks like Tsunade-sama's finally going to be on there.'_

He was halfway to his destination when he was almost run over by two enthusiastic green blurs. "Hello, Gai."

The man smiled, his teeth pinging oddly. "My hip rival! You are back! Perhaps we can continue our challenges today! What do you say, oh glorious rival?"

Gai's look-alike grinned. "Gai-sensei! That was most youthful of you to proclaim! It fans my youthful flames and makes me want to run a hundred laps around Konoha!"

"Why, that is most thoughtful of you, Lee! Carry on with your youthful endeavor!" shouted Gai loudly. The boy nodded and ran off shouting random exclamations of youth and spring. Kakashi's eye twitched. He could feel the beginnings of a headache start.

"It is good to see you back, Kakashi," said Gai in a quieter voice.

Kakashi smiled. "I'm glad to be back, Gai."

The strong man clapped him on the back _hard _before saying a quick farewell. He ran towards his pupil with an eager look in his eye. Kakashi stood there for a few seconds, trying to stabilize the sting in his back.

When he could finally feel the air in his lungs, he set off at a quick pace towards the office, wanting to turn in his mission report as soon as possible. He entered the room nonchalantly and handed Tsunade the report. The woman smirked and asked, "Did you have fun?"

He turned around and put a lazy hand up. "It wasn't much fun without Jiraiya-sama's books." He heard her snort loudly before the door closed behind his back.

Now that the official business was over, Kakashi had one more place to go before heading home. He walked down the crowded streets of Konoha with a cheerful look in place. All the familiar smells and innocent chatter of the civilians made the year-long mission actually worth it.

When Kakashi reached the memorial stone, his cheerfulness faded. "Sorry that I haven't been able to see you for a while, Obito." He chuckled lowly. "You're probably angry at me, huh, Obito?"

A whirl of leaves beside him alerted him to someone's presence. The familiar scent of lilacs filled his senses and he relaxed. "Yo, Hinata-chan."

"Kakashi-sensei! You're back!" she exclaimed in a happy voice.

He turned to her with a grin and said, "Yup..." before his jaw dropped. His single eye took in the sight that was Hinata.

Her formerly short, boyishly cut hair was now long and reached mid-back. Her bangs were still the same straight cut across her forehead, as was the midnight blue locks of hair that framed her face. They made her lavender-tinted eyes stand out tremendously, and her pale complexion just completed the look. Her usual beige jacket had been replaced with a thin purple sweater and _was she wearing fishnet under that? _But what shocked him the most was how her body had developed. Sure, he had known that with puberty came large... things and curves... and she was still developing... but Hinata managed to outdo many kunoichi in that department.

This was the girl that was his former student, the girl that was a light in his world, the girl that was... now a young woman.

Kakashi barely had time to register his surprise before he felt warm arms around his waist. "You're back," she murmured into his vest. He noted that she had gotten taller as well; she was probably near his shoulders now, judging from how her face was now pressed against his chest.

He put his arms around the girl's shoulders loosely, not much for intimate physical contact. He enjoyed the warmth her body provided, though, as she pressed up against him. He squashed down the disappointment that threatened to build when she finally let go.

Kakashi was amused to see the blush that adorned her porcelain cheeks as she looked down at the floor. "S-sorry, Kakashi-sensei... I-I probably shouldn't have h-hugged you like that... b-but-"

"It's fine, Hinata-chan. You were just happy to see me, right?"

His lips twitched at her answering smile. "Yes, Kakashi-sensei. I'm so glad to see you unharmed."

Kakashi's eye stared into her beautiful lavender ones before he spoke up. "I missed Konoha a lot."

"And it missed you as well." The girl smiled tenderly at him, making his heart skip a beat. _'She's really grown into a beautiful woman.'_

He cleared his throat, trying to clear up the traitorous thoughts that came with his earlier one. "How has your training been?"

Hinata's face broke into a happy grin. "It's been great, Kakashi-sensei. Gai-sensei and Neji-niisan has been helping me train for awhile now, actually." Kakashi looked at her in shock. Her grin widened and she shyly added, "I'm a chuunin now."

He placed a hand on her head. "Congratulations, Hinata-chan."

"Arigatou."

Her eyes peeked up from under his hand and Kakashi could see the delight in them at being praised. Her eyes shone brightly and her cheeks were dusted pink. Kakashi's breath hitched slightly at the beautiful sight. He quickly withdrew his hand and placed it in his pocket, trying to ignore how soft her hair had felt under his touch.

"You've been training with Gai?" he asked, looking for a distraction.

The girl nodded. "Hai. He's been helping me perfect my taijutsu and speed. Neji-niisan has been helping with the Hyuuga clan techniques." At this, a frown pulled at her lips. "My regular taijutsu needs a lot of work before I can catch up to Lee-kun, though. Although, he can never catch me when we play ninja-tag. I'm pretty good at evasion." A small smile graced her features.

Kakashi chuckled. "You guys play tag to test your speed. Sounds fun." The thought of the game made him think of something. "How about we play a game, Hinata-chan?" The girl looked at him oddly. "It won't be a normal game. It's going to test your skills as a ninja. That way I can see how much you've improved."

"That sounds great, Kakashi-sensei."

"Ok, here's what you're going to do." He pulled out a silver bell. "You're going to use whatever means you have to take this bell away from me." He smiled slightly at the look of concentration on her face. "Rules... there are no rules. Only that you have three hours to take it from me. Got it?"

The girl nodded and made a hand seal, disappearing from sight. _'Kurenai's been teaching her some genjutsu, huh...'_

* * *

Hinata watched from her hiding place as ten of her kage bunshin attacked Kakashi-sensei. He quickly dispatched of them, his body tense. Even as she marveled at his speed, she couldn't help but feel a bit... satisfied that Kakashi-sensei thought enough of her that he didn't pull out his book.

_'Waiting's over.'_ She made a few quick hand seals and disappeared underground. Using her byakugan, she kept sight of his location and jumped out of the ground, her fist pulled up to hit Kakashi-sensei, much in the same manner as Naruto-kun had during his match against Neji.

He casually caught her fist and threw her towards a tree. Hinata gracefully flipped and landed on the tree on the soles of her feet. She jumped off of it and flew towards Kakashi-sensei. She landed a few feet in front of him and quickly disappeared using her speed, to appear behind him. She managed to land a few hits to his tenketsu... only for him to poof into a log. Hinata bit her lip and looked around.

Kakashi-sensei was nowhere in sight.

* * *

Deep in the cover of the forest where he hoped the byakugan wouldn't penetrate, Kakashi sat down peacefully.

He thought back to the short fight. He really hadn't expected Hinata to know that one particular jutsu. It had taken a lot of self-control not to show his surprise when she appeared underground. And the girl's speed... She was much faster than when he last saw her. He guessed that it was near his own speed a few years ago. Some more training and Kakashi didn't doubt that she might even surpass his own hard-earned speed, especially since she was still young.

The scent of lilacs permeated his senses and a quick palm to his chin knocked him upward before he had time to react. _'Her speed's increased more than I first assumed,'_ he thought as he rubbed his aching chin.

"Nice one, Hinata-chan. But next time won't be so easy." As he said this, he lifted up his headband, showing off his sharingan.

The girl nodded sharply before she dashed towards him. His sharingan watching her every move, Kakashi made some hand seals. "Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu!"

The column of water flew towards her, engulfing her in the current. He felt a slight tinge of guilt as he watched her being carried away. When the girl hit the trunk of a tree, he jumped towards her worriedly.

"Hinata?" he asked.

The girl made no move as he neared her. Fearing that he actually might've severely injured her, he moved closer. A sharp kick flying towards him from his side made him shoot up and land on a tree branch above him. The limp body of Hinata melted into water. He smirked. _'So she Kawarimi'd with her own water bunshin. Smart.'_

He made to move, but found himself unable to do so. Kakashi looked down in shock and realized that he was covered in chakra strings. They tightened, making him ram his back into the trunk of the tree painfully.

Hinata landed in front of him softly. She walked towards him, a small smile on her face. "What did you say about next time not being so easy?"

* * *

Hinata inwardly cheered. She had actually caught Kakashi-sensei in her trap!

She watched him warily as his single eye curved and he made a sharp movement with the one finger he could move.

Her byakugan caught sight of dozens upon dozens of kunai and shuriken flying towards her. She berated herself for letting down her guard and quickly spun, releasing chakra from her tenketsu as she used her family's defending technique: Kaiten.

She easily deflected the weapons and turned her attention to Kakashi-sensei... and slapped her forehead with her palm.

He had disentangled himself using the many weapons as a distraction. Even though she felt a sharp disappointment well in her, she couldn't help but feel a bit of respect and awe at Kakashi-sensei's ability to see so many steps ahead. His ability was so great that he had set up that trap in case he should get caught.

It made her proud to be one of his students.

* * *

_'She's improved so much,'_ thought Kakashi as he flew through the trees. Her plan had been well thought out, even for being a spur-of-the-moment kind. He was glad he had taken the time to rig his resting place with those traps. Her speed had, once again, impressed him. He found himself wondering just what Gai had been teaching her.

His back throbbed painfully during a particularly hard jump. Kakashi inwardly cursed Gai and the tree trunk.

A few shuriken was thrown at him as he finally landed on the training ground site. He Kawarimi'd and landed on the wooden post. Hinata landed a few feet in front of him crouched. She stood up slowly. Kakashi took the time to admire her innate gracefulness. _'Beautiful...'_ he found himself thinking. He jumped down from the post and stood still, his muscles tensed.

The girl faced him and slid into her family's traditional stance, albeit with a wider berth between her legs to help her balance. _'I can see some of Gai's training here.'_

"I guess it's time for hand to hand combat, Hinata," he said casually.

The girl gave him no answer and ran towards him. He quickly side-stepped her and fully prepared himself to appear behind her... only for her to appear behind _him._ She kneed him in the back and quickly appeared in front of him.

"Two strikes," he heard her murmur as she struck two of his tenketsu.

"Four strikes. Sixteen strikes," she said as she built up speed.

Kakashi, deciding that he'd had enough of his tenketsu closed up, grabbed her arm and threw her to the side. The girl skid as her feet tried to stay on top of the ground. A soft chime reached his ears. He looked at the girl in shock, and sure enough, there was the bell she was supposed to take hanging by her fingertips.

His lips formed a slow smile. "You did it, Hinata-chan. Congratulations."

The girl smiled back. "Thank you, Kakashi-sensei."

"Hinata," he said seriously. "As of today, I am no longer your sensei." The girl's face dropped slightly. He quickly hurried on, not wanting to see the girl's hurt expression. "Today you beat me. That means that we are now equals, Hinata." He smiled at her.

He watched in amusement as the girl slowly took in what he said. The emotions flickered across her face, bringing a sense of deja vu to him. It wasn't until the girl's eyes were filled with happiness that he realized he had seen this scene play out before.

It was the same as when he praised her when she deduced that Minato-sensei was Naruto's father.

The beautiful expression on her face was the same as when he first saw it that day.

"Hai, Kakashi!"

A slow blush crept up on his cheeks when she said his name. There was no honorifics, no title of respect. It was just plain, old 'Kakashi'... but hearing it from Hinata's lips... the way her soft voice said his name... Well, it was enough to make him blush like a hormonal teenager.

* * *

Odd looks were thrown their way as they walked down the busy streets of Konoha. Their dirty clothes, messed up hair, and exhausted forms were enough to warrant such looks, after all.

Hinata ignored those looks in favor of thinking about her wonderful day. Kakashi-sen-, no, _Kakashi_, had returned from his horribly long mission today and had proceeded to test how she had progressed. She blushed slightly as she thought of what had occurred before that. She had been overcome with happiness and had actually hugged him.

She tried to forget it, but her body couldn't seem to forget the warmth his body had flushed hers with... or how his chest had been comfortably solid and how his shoulders were so broad... and how he had smelled slightly of pine and something deeply masculine. Her slight blush turned crimson as those thoughts filled her mind. _'I-I shouldn't be thinking about my sen-, I mean, friend this way! He's... he's much older than I am...'_ she tried to reason with herself. _'Besides, I don't think Kakashi would ever like me, plain Hinata.'_ With that said, er, thought, she quietly matched her pace with the man currently filling her thoughts.

Trying to distract herself, she let the rest of the day play out in her mind. After she got the bell, Kakashi and her had proceeded to do a one-on-one taijutsu spar. It had been exhilarating, to say the least.

Hinata knew that she probably wouldn't win against Kakashi if it was a real fight, but she prided herself on the fact that she had put up a fight. Every blow she took, she tried to return it, succeeding more times than not. A small smile graced her lips as she thought of her instructor, her sparring partner, her deepest, most closest friend. His year-long absence in her life had been difficult to bear at times, but a long visit to the training grounds always brought her out of her slight depression.

_'And now he's back,'_ she thought happily.

Kakashi's low voice broke through her thoughts. "Hinata, what would you like to eat?"

Hinata bit her lip, deep in thought. "There's that nice barbeque spot that Asuma-san and his team always goes to."

"Perfect." The two set off at a brisk pace, both of their stomachs growling slightly from their spar.

* * *

Kakashi's stomach grumbled loudly when they finally reached the place. His sensitive nose had already caught scent of the tempting smells blocks ago, but up close, it was heavenly.

Beside him, Hinata giggled softly at him. He smiled and walked inside. A surprising sight awaited him.

"Eh? Kakashi!" slurred a familiar voice.

A big, brown-haired man waved to him. He raised a hand in greeting. "Yo, Asuma."

"Why don't you come eat with me and my team?" asked Asuma.

Kakashi looked down at Hinata, asking for confirmation. The girl smiled and nodded. They sat down across Team Asuma as they ordered their drinks.

"Soooo, what brings you two down here?" Asuma waggled his eyebrows, obviously drunk. "And tooooogeeeether at that." He hiccuped.

The female on his team blushed. "Sorry, Hinata-chan, Kakashi-sensei. He's... Well, he's celebrating our birthdays."

The drunk man nodded sagely. "Yuuuup. My dear old Shikamaru and Ino are now officially... married! Wait, that didn't sound right. How old are you guys again?"

The blonde girl snapped at him. "WE'RE NOT GETTING MARRIED, WE'RE TURNING FIFTEEN, YOU DRUNKEN OLD GEEZER!"

Shikamaru grumbled. "Keep it down, people are watching, ya know."

The blonde gave a huffy retort. "Shut up, Shika. You do know that there's no chance in hell that we'd ever get married!"

To Kakashi's amusement, the pony-tailed hair boy just sent a lazy glare at her. "As if I would ever marry you. Troublesome woman."

The blond harped at him angrily until the meat finally came in. The third member of their team offered to cook their meat for them. He nodded. Cooking was not his forte. To his surprise, Hinata asked if she could help. The Akimichi smiled slightly and nodded.

The meat was ready in no time. Kakashi couldn't help but eye the splendid-looking meat suspiciously. How did a teenage boy manage to cook so well? _'Ah, well he is an Akimichi...'_ They worked wonders with food, so he supposed he'd just have to trust that.

Kakashi quickly uncovered his mask and took a bite before covering it up again. It was a perfected art of his. As he chewed the tender piece of meat, Kakashi decided he was very glad he had trusted his intuition. "This is good," he muttered.

The large boy beamed. "With Hinata-san's help, I managed to flavor the beef perfectly! You're an amazing cook, Hinata-san."

Hinata blushed profusely. "Oh, n-no! Chouji-san! You cooked the meat. L-look at it. Cooked to a beautiful color and it's not too undercooked or too overcooked. It's amazing, Chouji-san!"

Kakashi tried to hide the small smirk on his face as he watched the boy blush at Hinata's sincere praise. His observant eye watched the other boy, Shikamaru, eye Hinata with a strange look in his eyes. _'She does look quite beautiful when she gets interested or animated in conversations,'_ he mused. His completely inappropriate thought made him miss his mouth when he lifted his glass to drink. It spilled all over his mask and vest. _'Thank Kami, it was only water.'_

Much to his embarrassment, all the ninja at his table stared at him. "I... missed." A small snicker could be heard from Shikamaru before Asuma spluttered out laughing. Apparently, he was a happy drunk. _'I would've pegged him as a silent drunk, though,'_ thought Kakashi.

"Kakashi! Here, let me help you." Hinata dabbed at his wet vest with a napkin before he stopped her.

"It's ok, Hinata. I'll just take it off." He unzipped his vest and shrugged it off his shoulders. He frowned slightly when he realized that the water had soaked through his vest to his black shirt underneath. Now the material was clinging to his chest.

He heard a sharp gasp and looked up. The blond girl, Ino, had a hand over her mouth and slight blush on her cheeks. He quickly looked away from her stare... and saw Hinata with a similar look on her face as Ino's. He smirked slightly. _'I am rather attractive,'_ he thought amusedly.

Hinata snapped out of it and murmured a soft, "Ok." before she went back to her meal, albeit with a quieter air about her than before.

He watched the two teenage boys send exasperated gasps at Ino before eating their meal. He raised a slender eyebrow at the blond. She blushed when she realized she had been caught staring by him and quickly dug into the salad she had ordered.

The meal ended and he and Hinata paid for their part of the meal and said goodbye. Team Asuma gave them quiet goodbyes in turn as they eyed Asuma's drunken form that was slumped over the table in exasperation.

"That was a nice meal," he said, looking side-ways at Hinata.

She looked up at him and laughed softly. "Yes, it was."

"I mean, a drunk teacher, two great cooks, and young kunoichi ogling a handsome man like myself does make for an interesting meal after all," he continued, a slight grin tugging at his lips.

Hinata blushed darkly. "I-I wasn't expecting that... Ino-chan's reaction was worse," she muttered.

"Uh huh." A spark of ingenuity came to him. "I wonder what Naruto-kun would think of that, hmmm..."

Her blush darkened before she sighed deeply. "Only you could tease me s-so much." She smiled beatifically at him. "I missed it a lot, Kakashi."

He nodded mutely, not sure if he could form words after seeing such an utterly gorgeous sight from the beautiful heiress.

* * *

"Oi, Asuma-sensei... you still alive?" asked Shikamaru as he nudged him with his foot.

"Unnn..." was the only answer from the drunken man.

Shikamaru groaned in defeat. _'Why do I have to take this drunk old man home?'_ He threw his hands up in the air, then stared at them. _'Oh right, these are the reason.'_ He had lost at janken, so he had to take his teacher home. "Ughh."

He lifted the very heavy man onto his back and headed off to Kurenai's house. _'She'll know what to do with him.'_

The moon's soft light illuminated the way for him. He stared at it curiously for a second, comparing its glow to the eyes of a certain Hyuuga girl. "Oi, Asuma-sensei. How do Kakashi and Hinata know each other?" he asked, not really expecting an answer.

The man groaned. "They're -_hic_- teacher and student, I think."

Shikamaru's eyes narrowed. "They were awfully close for just a normal teacher/student relationship. Hinata usually speaks with honorifics, but she didn't apply any towards Kakashi at all."

"You're thinking -_hic_- too hard on the situation, Sh-shika..." The man lifted a hand to his head. "They've know each other for -_hic_- years now, probably. Closer than -_hic_- friends, but not quite lovers would be a good -_hic_- way to describe it."

The man then proceeded to throw up his dinner, most of it landing on Shikamaru's shoulder. Shikamaru promptly dropped his teacher and removed the soiled article of clothing. "That was disgusting, sensei!" All thoughts of Kakashi and Hinata's close relationship left his mind as the putrid scent of vomit filled his senses.

* * *

"You can just leave me here. Good bye, Kakashi," said Hinata as she bowed slightly towards the older man.

Kakashi looked at her in surprise. "What? But this is no where near the Hyuuga compound."

Hinata gave him a wry smile. "I don't live there anymore. I live with Kurenai-sensei."

She watched Kakashi's single eye grow in confusion. "What?"

"My father left me in Kurenai-sensei's care shortly after I was placed on her team, Kakashi."

His single eye sharpened into a fierce look. Hinata sent him a soft smile and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, noting how much taller he was than her. "Kakashi, it's ok. I like it with Kurenai-sensei a lot. There is a lot more freedom that within the confines of the Hyuuga compound." Her smile grew. "Plus, I get to see Neji-niisan everyday and Hanabi-chan always visits."

Kakashi's body relaxed under her touch. "If you're happy, Hinata."

"Hai, I am." She let go of his arm, blushing. "Good night, Kakashi."

"Good night," murmured the silver-haired man. She bowed and put up her hands in a familiar seal, disappearing with a small poof as leaves appeared where she had been standing.


	11. Uchiha Obito

Hahah... I kind of got side-tracked with this new story of mine. It's called **An Impromptu Meeting** and it's another KakaHina fic. They're more mature and older in that fic. Somehow the idea of Kakashi running from genin and meeting Hinata in a closet came to me and just wouldn't leave! But, umm, please check it out. I'll be updating it regularly along with this fic. When I run out of ideas for one fic, I'll start on the other. Hopefully by the time I finish one of the chapters, I'll have come up with something new for the other.

Anyways, as always, thanks for your reviews!

* * *

Kakashi walked down the streets of Konoha feeling a sense of accomplishment. His head was pounding, his neck was sore, and he had blistered feet, but he had found the perfect gift for Hinata. All he had left to do was give it to her. With her fifteenth birthday coming up in the next couple days, and him going on a mission tomorrow, he wanted to give Hinata the gift before he left.

He wandered around the streets aimlessly, wondering when she would return from her mission. The mission was a simple B-rank, so her and her team mates would only be gone for about two weeks. Today was the day they were expected back, so Kakashi was hoping to meet up with them before he left for his own mission.

With his single eye focused on his book, he used his other senses to navigate as he walked through the village. His nose was keeping a sharp look out for any scent of lilacs. Kakashi lazily turned a page in his book before he caught her scent. His book snapped shut. He made a hand seal and disappeared in a poof of smoke.

As he neared Hinata, the faint scent of blood mixed with hers flooded him with dread. He quickened his pace. The girl's scent brought him to their usual meeting place: the memorial stone. He was alarmed to see her slumped over and still. Only a slight feeling of relief at seeing her mostly unharmed, besides a few scratches and cuts filled him; the girl's gloomy mood was something else to be worried about. _'What happened to her?'_

Hinata tensed and shot a wary look at him when he landed on the ground before she recognized him and quickly relaxed her body, allowing him to see her bloodshot eyes and more pale than usual cheeks. "Hinata?" he said softly. The girl didn't answer him, so he slowly walked up to her.

"D-don't come any closer!" Kakashi stiffened. Hinata had never ever yelled at him. She'd raise her voice at him once or twice, but never in fear or anger. He felt his chest tighten uncomfortably as he thought of how he was causing her to be this way.

"Why not, Hinata?" he asked gently.

She didn't answer. Her body shook uncontrollably and her breath came out erratically. Worry for the obviously distraught girl filled him. Disregarding her yell, he walked towards her and knelt, trying to catch the girl's eyes with his. Much to his shock, tears were falling down her cheeks. She was clutching at her arms desperately, and a strangled sob was starting in her throat.

"Hinata… what's wrong?" he asked as he tentatively put a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her.

Her voice came out softly, strained, hoarse. "I… I k-k-killed someone t-today. He, it…" Her voice cut out suddenly as a massive sob coursed through her body.

Kakashi's single eye softened. _'Her first kill,'_ he thought in understanding.

It was hard for every shinobi their first time. Ending a life, no matter how greedy or dangerous the person had been in their lifetime, took its toll on a person's mental and psychological health.

'_It must have been even harder to take in for Hinata…'_

Hinata was a kind, loving soul. She wouldn't initiate a fight or hurt a person without a reason. Heck, she wouldn't even hurt a bug. Kakashi remembered how a few weeks ago, a black bug had found its way onto Hinata's shoulder while they were sparring. He had immediately brushed it off and raised his foot to step on it, when he had been unceremoniously pushed back with an open palm strike from Hinata. He'd looked up to see her pick up the bug and put it a bush. She had then turned to him with a fierce look in her eye. _'That was one of the times she raised her voice at me, wasn't it?'_ he thought fondly.

To take a life, then, for Hinata would be even more devastating.

"How did it happen, Hinata?"

The girl shook, but spoke. "We w-were ambushed by ten m-men… Sh-shino-kun and Kiba-kun… Akamaru… We took out most of them, but two g-got away. Kiba-kun broke an arm during the fight," she said thickly. "They came b-back the next day. One almost killed Kiba-kun!" At this, she broke off and held in a shaking sob. "I j-jumped in a-and… k-killed him with a strike to the h-h-heart." She drew in a long, shaky breath. "I c-could see with my byakugan, the s-stop of his h-heart." Hinata could say no more as her body was racked with tremoring sobs.

"Hinata," he said gently. "Everybody goes through this; the first kill is the hardest for everyone." The girl's sobs quieted a bit. Taking this as a good sign, he continued on in a calm voice. "To be a ninja, we have to kill to make sure we finish the mission successfully. To save a friend's life, we might also have to kill. You saved Kiba by killing that man." He smiled reassuringly at the girl's tear-streaked face. "I'm proud of you."

Kakashi was glad to see the girl's sobbing gradually stop as she processed his words. Tears still rolled down her cheeks, but her shaking had stopped, leaving her only to shudder slightly every once in a while. When the girl finally calmed down, she looked up at him with a trembling smile on her lips. "Arigatou, Kakashi."

"You're welcome, Hinata."

"You always s-seem to know what to say."

Her eyes stared warmly into his. Kakashi tore his gaze from hers and looked at the memorial stone awkwardly. "It comes from experience," he said softly. Memories of his first kill and Obito's first came to mind. He had been the one to speak sharp words of comfort to him. His lips upturned in a small smile.

"Experience?" echoed Hinata uncertainly.

Kakashi looked at her, an inner debate going on in his mind. _'To tell her or not to tell her…?'_ He stared at the girl's soft features, her dirty clothes, and her gentle eyes that always brought some form of unbidden peace to him.

Resolve filled him, and he decided to tell her what very few people knew about him. "My best friend… I was there when he made his first kill." The girl straightened up slightly and patted the ground next to her. He smiled faintly and sat down next to her.

"His nickname was Crybaby Obito. That day, though, he didn't shed a tear." He looked at her indigo hair (which he knew was very soft) before continuing on. "He vomited and shut his eyes to the world instead. Sensei wasn't there, and Rin had no idea what to say to him, so the job was left to me." A wry smile made its way to his lips. "After all, I killed my first man when I was eight."

Hinata gasped and held a hand to her mouth. In an attempt to hold in her own vomit or stop herself from saying something, Kakashi did not know.

"I wasn't the best friend back then. I told Obito to suck it up and be a ninja, a Leaf shinobi. He lashed out at me predictably, telling me that me and him were different. I grabbed him in anger and punched him in the face." He paused before continuing. "I told him that we were both boys, both shinobi, both human. I told him that the day I first killed a man, I had vomited uncontrollably. I told him that we were not as different as he liked to think. You know what he did? He told me I was right and punched me back."

He chuckled lowly. Beside him, Hinata smiled. "He sounds like a nice guy."

Kakashi stiffened slightly, before he decided to tell her. "He died during a mission to turn the war in Konoha's favor."

Hinata inhaled sharply. "I-I had no idea… Kakashi… I'm sorry."

He placed a hand on her head gently. "Hinata, don't be sorry." He ruffled her hair before letting his hand rest on his lap. "Do you want to know how I got my Sharingan?"

"Y-you don't have to tell me, if you don't want t-to, Kakashi," stuttered Hinata.

"I want to. My first mission as a jounin was a vital one. Before that though, my team gave me gifts. Sensei gave me a special kunai and Rin gave me a medical pack. Predictably, Obito totally forgot. We then left for the border of Earth country. My team was to split up into two groups: Rin, Obito, and me, while my sensei went alone. My group was to destroy a bridge critical to the opposing side." He shuddered lightly before speaking again. "Rin was captured by Iwa nin and Obito wanted to rescue her. I told him that the mission came first, abandoning it for a comrade was nonsense." He heard the distinct sound of cloth crinkling and looked at Hinata and saw her clenching her fists in her black capris.

"I was stupid back then, Hinata. My father, the White Fang, was disgraced and dishonored after he abandoned a mission to save his teammates' lives. That mission hurt Konoha badly in the war effort. Even the teammates he rescued scorned him. Eventually my father committed suicide. I was there when he did it."

Hinata gasped. Kakashi looked over at her with a sad smile on his lips. "I became a strict, by-the-book person, not wanting to follow in my father's footsteps. Do you know what Obito told me before he left? He told me that the White Fang was a true hero and that those who break the rules are scum, but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum."

He paused before deciding to tell her all of it. "Obito was an Uchiha, but he hadn't activated his Sharingan yet. He was the loser of the Uchiha clan. That day, he activated his Sharingan and killed a man that had targeted my blind side, since I lost an eye to protect him. We found Rin and left the area, but not before one of the Iwa nin caved it in." He drew in a shaky breath before continuing. "Obito pushed me out of the way of a boulder and the right side of his body was crushed as a result. He told Rin to give me his left eye because he hadn't given me a gift yet."

Kakashi lifted up his headband and looked at Hinata with a regretful look in his eyes. "That was when I realized he was my best friend." Obito's eye watered and a small tear rolled down his cheek. "I was stupid back then, Hinata. I… lost it all because of-"

He was interrupted when two warm, comforting arms slung their way around his neck. Kakashi looked up to see Hinata's forehead pressed against his shoulder.

"Kakashi," she said softly. "Mistakes are made when people are younger. It's up to them to learn from it." She drew him in closer, pressing him against herself. "And you have, Kakashi. Sakura told me what you said to them their first day of training." She raised her head and stared earnestly into his eyes. "You are a great person today because of what happened in the past. Obito would be proud of you."

They lapsed into a calm silence. Kakashi listened to Hinata's kind words that were echoing in his mind. Long minutes passed before he slowly put his arms around Hinata.

"Thank you, Hinata."

* * *

The sun slowly set, casting its orange rays down on the field. Hinata looked up at the sky lazily from where she laid. Next to her, Kakashi was leaning against a tree trunk, his nose in his book. Hinata smiled as she watched his eye frown thoughtfully before he turned the page.

Today, so many barriers between them had been destroyed. Kakashi's past was no longer a mystery to her, not after he told her how he got his eye. _'Uchiha Obito...'_ Hinata knew with utmost certainty, that her future visits to the memorial stone would have a reason now, other than meeting up with Kakashi. She would always pay her respects to the boy who had saved his and hers most precious friend.

The sky steadily got darker, until only a few of the sun's rays shone through the trees. Crickets chirped happily and fireflies blinked by. Hinata sighed before lifting herself up.

"Kakashi?"

"Hm?"

"It's getting late. I don't want to make Kurenai-sensei worry."

Kakashi nodded. "You're right, let's go."

Hinata stood up slowly. When she finally got on her feet, she staggered slightly, losing her balance. A pair of arms caught her before she could fall.

"Thanks, Kakashi." She pulled herself out of his grasp. "I think I"m still woozy from..." She trailed off, not wanting to finish her sentence.

"It's alright. I understand." Hinata watched Kakashi's eye glint mischievously. "It's not everyday you get a hug from a handsome man like myself."

Hinata blushed, but a small grin made its way onto her lips. How was it that Kakashi always knew what to say and what not to say? _'Well, most of the time anyways.'_

She turned to the memorial stone and bowed before she left. _'Thank you, Obito-san.'_ She ignored Kakashi's questioning look. _'Thank you for saving Kakashi's life.'_ Hinata ran up to Kakashi's side. "Let's go."

The silver-haired man looked at her oddly, but did not say anything. It was only until they reached the end of the path that he spoke up.

"Ahh, I forgot to give you something."

Hinata looked at him curiously. "What is it?"

Kakashi stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled out a small box. "Happy fifteenth birthday, Hinata." He held out the box to her, his eye smiling.

"K-Kakashi! W-what? You didn't h-have to..."

"I wanted to."

Hinata's lips trembled. "Thank you, Kakashi." She took the proffered gift, opened it slowly... and gasped. "Kakashi... It's beautiful!"

Inside the box lay a small glass butterfly. Its wings were a dazzling blue and small shiny stones glittered along the edges of the wings. The butterfly's antennae were clear, like its long body. Where its eyes were supposed to be were two small gems, which Hinata assumed were blue topaz, her birthstone.

She picked it up and held it in her palm delicately. "Th-this must have cost a lot, Kakashi."

"Not really." He shrugged, ending the discussion.

"Thank you so much, Kakashi. I've never received such a beautiful gift." Her lips upturned in a small smile as one of the glass wings shone, reflecting the little light that was still out from the sun.

"You're welcome."

She looked at him, wanting to thank him face-to-face. To her amusement, the man was reading his book intently, effectively avoiding her gaze. Hinata grinned slightly. Kakashi was an elite jounin, yes, but he really was no good at emotional interaction.

"Oh!" A sudden thought had come to her. "Kakashi, why did you give me a gift five days early? Are you going on a mission?"

The silver-haired man nodded. "Yeah, I'm leaving tomorrow morning. I'll probably be gone for about two weeks."

"Ohh..." said Hinata, slightly disappointed that he wouldn't make it to her birthday party. Missions were missions, though.

The man sighed and stuffed his book into his pouch. "I guess I got to get you home now." He winked at her. "Wouldn't want Kurenai throwing things at me."

Hinata laughed. "I really am sorry about last time."

"Don't worry about it."

* * *

Kakashi yawned as he walked towards the Konoha gates. "Yo, Genma, Raidou."

"You're late, Kakashi. Like always," muttered Raidou.

"Sorry, I got lost on the road of li-"

"I've heard that one already," grumbled Genma.

Kakashi tilted his head thoughtfully. "Hmm, really?"

"Kakashi!"

He turned around and saw a familiar indigo-haired teen. He squashed down the slight happy feeling he felt and wondered why Hinata had bothered seeing him off.

Kakashi looked at the girl and the bundle in her arms curiously. "Yo, Hinata. What are you doing here?"

The girl smiled and handed the wrapped bundle to him. "I made you and your team a bento as a thank you gift. I hope you like it."

Kakashi sniffed appreciatively. "It smells great. Did you make my favorite?"

Hinata grinned. "Yes, I did."

"Alright then, I will definitely like it."

"Have a safe mission, Kakashi. Come back safely."

He handed out the other two bento and placed his in his bag. "I will." He placed a hand on her head. "Thanks."

* * *

I somehow can't shake off the feeling that Kakashi's slightly OOC in this chapter. Do you guys think he is? What do you think about it?

I hope you guys like how Kakashi reveals his past to her. I think this conveys just how close the two are and how much closer they are getting. Oh, and the butterfly gift was something I've had in mind for awhile now. Hope you guys don't think it's too cheesy. It just seemed... appropriate.

Oh! I looked up pictures of Kakashi's favorite food, salt-broiled saury, and it looks good. It's a type of fish, I think.

Well, I look forward to any and all reviews!


	12. Naruto's Return

Sorry about the long(er) update. I finished the chapter a few days ago, but I had a few church things to go to and I didn't get to finish editing. Sorry!

Anyways, hope you guys enjoy!

* * *

Two teens flew across the training field, their movements a blur to the average civilian. To a trained ninja's eye, however, it was a fierce fight between two young chuunin. The two would meet each other and engage in complicated and complex sequences of taijutsu moves, both trying to outdo the other, before breaking apart, both breathing heavier than before they met. Their limbs moved quickly, so quickly that if you blinked, you would miss the blow, and only see the resulting damage to the other person.

It was unclear who the winner would be, but both were putting up a furious fight. One was trying to outdo himself, the other was trying to defeat her opponent, in the hopes of finally winning a match against him.

* * *

A fist flew towards her. She ducked and sent a low, sweeping kick towards her opponent's legs. He agilely jumped and disappeared. She spun around and parried his strong blow, sending her own fist in the process, too fast for her opponent to dodge. He flew back, sporting a new bruise. The two teens grinned at the new turn of events.

"That was most excellent, Hinata-chan."

"Thanks, Lee-kun."

They flew towards each other, both faster than before. With each unparried strike and well-placed hit, Hinata's confidence grew. _'One hit there! Another there! Maybe… Just maybe... __I can win today!'_

Hinata swiftly side-stepped Lee's flying kick, grabbed his leg and spun, sending him flying into a tree. The green-clad teen jumped back up, totally nonchalant that he just decimated a tree. He scanned the area cautiously, not seeing his opponent anywhere. Cold steel was held against his neck firmly. Lee's Adam's apple bobbed up and down nervously.

"Yield, Lee-kun," came Hinata's soft voice.

Lee grinned. "That was great, Hinata-chan!"

The kunai left his neck. The older teen turned around and flashed a thumbs-up at her. Hinata smiled. "Thank you for this spar, Lee-kun."

"Today, the victor is HINATA!" shouted Gai-sensei. "That was a most youthful and glorious fight, my two young chuunin! I am proud to be called one of your sensei!"

Hinata blushed happily from the praise. "And I am proud to be one of your students."

Gai-sensei beamed. "My wonderful student! You possess the attitude of a hard-working ninja! Truly expected from one of my rival's pupils!"

Hinata's blush deepened. Beside her, Lee was already recovering from their spar. His breaths were less deep and needful. Her own breathing was also returning to normal. Her muscles ached slightly and she could feel two bruises forming, joining her others, from Lee's last few hits. She did a mental check and found that her chakra reserves were filled to the brim.

"Gai-sensei, Lee-kun." The two looked at her curiously. "I think I will work on building my chakra reserves today."

Gai-sensei flashed her a bright smile. "That is a most excellent idea, Hinata. How about running a few laps with me and Lee around Konoha? That will surely help your reserves." His eyes lit up. Hinata gulped. "You can also execute chakra and jutsu to exhaust your chakra reserves to your limit! I am sure that your reserves will grow with this training!" Hinata exhaled in relief. _'That wasn't as bad as I thought.' _"And we'll up your weights too!" _'Never mind.'_

* * *

Kakashi nonchalantly turned a page in his new book. "If I remember correctly, this is where we did our first training session, isn't it?"

"Y-yeah… Team Seven," said Sakura softly.

"Our three-man team…" mumbled Naruto.

"That time, we had Sasuke around, too," he said.

Kakashi looked up from his book and watched the two's reactions oddly. Sakura was hugging her knees and Naruto was on the ground, the very picture of defeat. Both were muttering incomprehensibly to themselves. _'I guess Sasuke's name is taboo to these two…'_ he thought in understanding. He, himself, had had a hard time hearing Obito's name after his death. _'Well, the circumstances are a bit different, though.'_

"Well, then, let's begin." Kakashi snapped his book shut. The two asked him why he had put away his book, while both subtly got into battle positions. "I somehow get the feeling that I should take this seriously." He lifted up his forehead protector, feeling a slight sense of déjà vu. In front of him were two different shinobi, but he could feel the same determination from them as he had from Hinata. He smiled slightly. This was going to be an interesting fight.

He watched in amusement as Naruto swiftly threw shuriken at him. _'It's nice to see he hasn't changed in that aspect.'_

Kakashi observed Naruto's movements and use of kage bunshin thoughtfully. He carefully evaded the blonde and appeared behind the boy, a kunai at his back. He was slightly surprised to see a kunai at his own back.

"Interesting, Naruto." He smiled. "You're still as hasty as ever. Now, let's start."

He made a hand seal and disappeared, using a jutsu to go underground. His heart leaped uncomfortably when Sakura punched the ground, effectively ruining his hiding place. _'I see that medical jutsu isn't the only thing Tsunade has been teaching her.'_

"Found you, sensei!"

"Alright, this time I'm also going to do something." He raised his hands, making a hand seal.

* * *

Kakashi ran through the tree tops, trying to get as much distance as possible to think of a plan. Once he got far enough, he sat down, keeping a sharp look out.

'_Hmm… I don't want to use my sharingan too much. If I use it too much, I'll run out of stamina… Hopefully, those two don't figure that out.'_ He grinned, thinking of Hinata. She had figured out his weakness after a few long spars. She now used it to her advantage during spars, dragging out the fight and then quickly attacking when she found an opening. Their spars helped both him and her. Their stamina had grown immensely and both were using more and more increasingly difficult battle tactics. He made sure to force Hinata to quicken her hand seal making speed, since during battle, one who was not faster than his opponent was at a sore disadvantage. _'Not that Hinata's going to have a problem with that.'_

An owl hooted nearby. He stiffened, but slowly relaxed. _'Those two's growth is amazing, though. I didn't stop to think much about that these past few years, did I?'_ He mentally shrugged. _'Hinata's too much fun. Anyways, I've still got til dawn. I wonder how they're going to approach me…'_

A rustle in the trees alerted him to their fast-approaching presences. He stood up, ready to face his two former students. To his shock, they jumped down, flying towards him. _'A direct attack? Are they joking?'_ he thought in slight disappointment.

"Now, Naruto!" _'What are they going to do?'_

"Let's go, Kakashi-sensei!" shouted Naruto loudly. "The ending of _Icha Icha Tactics_!"

Kakashi widened his eyes in shock. _'What?! No! He's going to ruin the ending!'_ His hands flew up, effectively covering his ears. Naruto's lips moved, 'Actually, the main character…' _'Damn it! My sharingan can still read his lips!'_ He shut his eyes quickly, cursing himself inwardly. _'But, I don't want to know what happens to Seikaku this way!'_

He braced himself, waiting for Naruto's attack. Nothing. Kakashi opened his eyes in confusion. _'What?'_

"Heh, Kakashi-sensei! A ninja should look underneath the underneath, right?"

"Yeah, sensei!"

Both were holding a silver bell, a small smirk on their lips.

Kakashi laughed sheepishly. "So you guys got the bells."

* * *

Hinata ran past the tree, their marking point. "E-eighty-three!" she panted. _'Only seventeen more to go!'_

"YOSH! Hinata-chan, you are reaching your goal! What an amazing display of YOUTH!"

She smiled weakly at Lee-kun. Hinata picked up her pace, forcing her body to move, to ignore her heavy legs and arms. She made a hand seal, making ten water clones. All of them ran with her. Her eyes were looking straight ahead, but her byakugan that had been active since the twenty-fifth lap, saw that each were sporting a red, flushed face. Hinata blushed. _'Is that what I look like right now?'_

She ignored that thought, feeling the strain of holding the water clones in place. Hinata focused her mind, making sure not to lose her hold over her jutsu. When she passed the half-way point, her body finally lost the strain. She smiled faintly and made ten kage bunshin. Her knees buckled slightly, but she pushed on. _'I-I can do this! I can do this!'_ she mentally chanted. _'What would Kakashi say? He would say to keep it up! What would Gai-sensei say?'_ Hinata grimaced as she finally passed the marking point again. _'He would tell me to make more clones…'_ Hinata decided to ignore that thought.

Hinata kept track of her breathing, trying to even it out, not wanting to pant too heavily. This training was easily wearing her out. Usually, she could run alongside Gai-sensei and Lee-kun without a problem… Although, when they went past the two-hundred mark, she usually made an excuse and went off to train with her team. She was dedicated, but not to _that_ extreme. Neji-niisan and Tenten-chan would occasionally run along with them. Other times, they would shake their heads in embarrassment and send disbelieving looks at Gai-sensei and Lee-kun's antics.

A faint smile appeared on her lips as she thought of Neji-niisan. So much had changed since their fight in the preliminaries during the Chuunin Exams. It was all thanks to Naruto-kun, actually. After beating Neji-niisan in his match, Neji-niisan forgot about fate and destiny. When she heard that Neji-niisan had nearly died to retrieve Sasuke, along with the rest of the team… she had cried worried tears, anxious tears, angry tears. _If only she had been strong enough…smart enough… convincing enough… then maybe she could have stopped Sasuke! Then her precious people, her precious friends wouldn't have gotten hurt!_

Neji-niisan had caught her crying one day after he was released from the hospital. When he learned the reason why she was crying, he challenged her to a fight. Hinata had been shocked and hurt, but had taken his challenge. It was a fierce fight, but she tricked him, using a complicated set of ninjutsu and plain taijutsu. When she caught Neji-niisan in a head lock, he'd smirked. Not at her, but with her byakugan active, she saw it.

"_Hinata-sama. If you were weak, could you have caught me in this unbreakable hold? If you were not smart, could you have tricked me into a false sense of security? If you were not convincing, would we even be talking so casually like this right now?"_

Hinata ran past the tree, only three laps left.

"_Hinata-sama. You have the potential to become something great. You have the potential to become a leader. Right now, you are crying already dried tears. You have to move on, become stronger, smarter, more persuasive. Then, you will be able to protect the people you hold precious to you."_

She passed an empty training ground. She made a few fast hand seals. "Katon: Hosenka no jutsu!" Fast spurts of fire hit random targets, each flame dying before it had a chance to grow. Hinata frowned. She'd have to work on that.

"_Arigatou, Neji-niisan. Will you please train me?"_

"_Of course, Hinata-sama."_

"Mizu bunshin no jutsu!" Five more water clones popped into existence.

She raced with them to the finish line. Her legs slightly buckled, but she pushed on, her byakugan flaring.

"YOSH, HINATA-CHAN! YOU FINISHED MAGNIFICENTLY!"

Hinata smiled. She walked towards a tree, wanting to lean against it, but her legs gave in. She succumbed to exhaustion and laid down on the grass. Her chest heaved with effort and her arms and legs were stinging like crazy from the extra weights, but the feeling of accomplishment would not die down.

"You are truly an inspiration, a great friend, a powerful ally, a-"

Hinata interrupted Lee-kun's proclamations, although admittedly, she was rather flattered. "A-arigatou, Lee-kun." She flashed him a smile. "That m-means a lot to me." She was bemused to see a small tinge of pink stain Lee-kun's cheeks.

"You are welcome, oh splendid and beautiful lily of Konoha!" shouted Lee-kun before shooting up and running another lap.

Hinata sighed contentedly. She stared up at the blue sky. A small tinge of orange came into view. Her heart leaped slightly. She looked to her side and was disappointed to see it was just a village kid. _'F-for a second… I thought it was Naruto-kun…' _She returned to looking at the sky and marveled at how much Naruto-kun's eyes looked like the beautiful sky. _'I wonder when he'll come back...'_

* * *

"I'm amazed that you guys actually got the bell... And using such a tactic," said Kakashi as they walked along the streets.

Naruto grinned cockily. "Hehe, maybe I've even surpassed you, Kakashi-sensei!"

"Such conceit..." said Sakura.

Kakashi smiled under his mask. "Haha, anyways... I've been working on this new jutsu and..." He trailed off when he realized the two weren't listening to him, both too intent on finding food. He watched them with a slight feeling of regret. _'They were so cute back then...'_

"It'll be Kakashi-sensei's treat!" whispered Sakura loudly.

"Yeah!"

Kakashi's eye widened. _'Guess that mean it's time to go.'_ "Sorry, I have to make a list of new teams and such... Ja!"

He poofed away and appeared near the outskirts of town. _'I'll finally find out what happens next,'_ thought Kakashi happily. He walked along a worn path, looking for a nice spot to read and instead found an interesting sight.

At the base of a tree on her back, was Hinata, her eyes shut. The girl looked like she had faced ten enemy nin all by herself. Her indigo hair was fanned around her messily, her clothes looked like they had seen better days, her face was slightly dirty, yet she still managed to look beautiful. Kakashi looked at her in awe. The girl stirred slightly and lifted up her arm. Her face contorted in pain and she snapped her eyes open.

"Yo, Hinata." He raised a hand in greeting.

Hinata looked at him, her lavender-tinted eyes shining brightly. "Hello, Kakashi!"

_'She's happy today...'_ mused Kakashi wonderingly. _'Does she know Naruto's back?'_

"Did you just finish training?" he decided to ask.

The girl nodded, a smile gracing her lips. "Today... I beat Lee-kun in a taijutsu-only spar for the first time ever." Her smile grew and her eyes glittered happily.

Kakashi smiled at her obvious joy. "That's wonderful, Hinata. How was it?"

His smile widened as the girl described her spar with Lee in great detail. His lips twitched whenever she spoke modestly, like, "I punched Lee-kun's side and knocked him down with a palm strike to his chest. OH! but Lee-kun ignored the pain and immediately got up." or "I managed to grab his leg during his spinning kick and throw him into a tree, which gave me an opening to hold a kunai at his neck, making me winner, but Lee-kun would have probably won if I hadn't caught his leg."

When Hinata finally finished describing her fight, she gasped lightly. He sent her a questioning look.

She smiled. "Nothing, it's just that I have a team spar tomorrow with Shino-kun, Kiba-kun, and Akamaru." She pulled back one of her jacket sleeves, showing off pale, creamy sk-. No, he was not going to finish that thought. He did not just call Hinata's skin creamy. No, he did not. He looked at her arm, trying not to look at the soft-looking skin, and instead looked at the new wrist weights she had on.

"You upped your weights?"

"Yes, Gai-sensei thought it was a good time to." She frowned thoughtfully. "This is probably my limit on the weights, though. I don't want it to hinder my Gentle Fist during battle."

Kakashi nodded in understanding. "That makes sense. You don't specialize in the type of taijutsu Gai and Lee use, so using the weights on a small scale will help, but too much will be a burden during intense fights. Plus, your body's not built to use it extensively."

Hinata was quiet as he said this. He looked at her worriedly. "What's wrong?"

The girl looked at him, the corner of her lips curved upward. "I can't get up."

Her unexpected answer made Kakashi laugh. His eye curved in amusement. "Do you want a piggy back ride?" he asked teasingly, knowing that the girl would most likely blush. He was proved right as the girl blushed a deep red.

"I-I think that... a hand up would suffice, Kakashi," she said in a small voice. He grinned slightly, but helped her up. "Arigatou."

"No problem."

They walked along the path to the village streets in a comfortable silence. A red bird flew by catching Kakashi's attention. A faint memory stirred in his mind. His eye widened. _'I forgot!'_

He pulled out his new book, _Icha Icha Tactics_, and frantically looked for his page. A small giggle came from beside him. He looked down to see Hinata with a knowing smile on her face.

"When did the new book come out?" she asked, amusedly.

Kakashi grinned. "Well... you see... I got it personally from the author's student." Hinata gasped, as Kakashi expected. "He got here yesterday. I spent all day and night testing his and Sakura's abilities. He's grown... in more ways than one." He lazily looked down, wanting to see Hinata's reaction.

He inhaled sharply when he saw her face. Hinata's cheeks were lightly dusted pink and her eyes were shining brightly. Her soft lips were parted slightly and her hair was fluttering with the passing wind, allowing him to smell the light scent of lilacs. She looked beautiful.

He stared at her, unable to look away. A slight light-headedness came over him. Kakashi slowly exhaled, having forgotten to do so when he was looking at her.

He had wanted to see her reaction to Naruto's return. Now, he kind of wished he hadn't.

"Naruto-kun's back..." breathed Hinata.

Kakashi forced a smile on his lips. "Yeah. I think we're going on a mission later today." The girl looked down disappointedly. "We'll be back soon, though. It should be a simple mission," he said hurriedly, wanting to reassure her someway, somehow. His heart throbbed painfully. _'What's with this feeling? Jealousy?'_ Kakashi mentally slapped himself. _'No way. I just know that Naruto doesn't even know about her feelings yet. I feel bad for her, that's all.'_

Hinata smiled gently. "It's strange to hear you talk about Naruto, yet not tease me about it at all."

He smirked. "I didn't know you wanted me to... Well, did you know, _Naruto-kun_ has grown a few inches." Hinata blushed. _'Probably mentally comparing herself to him.'_ "Oh, and he..."

* * *

Hinata waved goodbye to Kakashi, a small smile playing at her lips. _'Kakashi really has too much fun teasing me.'_

She walked to her and Kurenai-sensei's shared apartment, ready to take a good, long soak in the bath.

"I'm home, Kurenai-sensei," she said as she placed her sandals neatly against the wall.

"Welcome back, Hinata." The woman walked out of the kitchen door, a glass of water in her hands. She handed it to Hinata wordlessly.

"Arigatou, Kurenai-sensei."

The woman shrugged. "No problem."

As Hinata sat in the hot bath, her tense and aching body slowly relaxed, allowing her to fully enjoy her soak.

She looked around the small room lazily and saw a calender sitting on the sink. She looked at it curiously before carefully drying her hand and grabbing it. She looked at a date circled. 'Kurenai's Birthday.' _'Oh! I need to get her a present.'_

She flipped the page. Nothing. She flipped it again. Nothing, really. Just a small sticker that said, "Anniversary!" _'Anniversary?'_ Hinata tilted her head thoughtfully. '_Kurenai-sensei and... Asuma-san?!'_ Hinata giggled. She always knew something was up. No man who ever spent the night was _just a friend. _She flipped the page one last time and gasped as she read "Kakashi-san's birthday." _'Kakashi? Oh my gosh! I've never gotten Kakashi anything for his birthday!'_

Hinata stood up swiftly, water dripping down her body. _'I can't believe I never asked him when his birthday was! I know Teuchi-san, the ramen shop owner's birthday, but I don't even know my own friend's birthday!' _"I'm sorry, Kakashi!" she wailed. Tears started in her eyes when she remembered the beautiful gift he gave her for her last birthday. She still had it; it was sitting on a table next to her bed. It caught the morning rays and reflected them beautifully from its spot.

She hastily grabbed a towel, wrapped it around her body, and ran out the door, pulling out the bath plug in the process. She noiselessly ran down the hallway into her room and shut the door behind her. Hinata put on a black, form-fitting t-shirt and white capris before sitting on her bed, deep in thought. _'What should I get Kakashi for his birthday this year? I have to make up for these past six years!'_ She looked around her small, but cozy room for inspiration.

Her clothes were neatly put away in a small drawer and her bed was made. A few medicinal cream books and ninjutsu scrolls were thrown haphazardly on her table, next to her butterfly present and pictures. She smiled and bent down to look at them. One small frame held Team Eight's first picture. Kiba-kun and Akamaru were standing unhappily next to a stoic Shino-kun. She was standing in the middle, a shy blush on her cheeks and Kurenai-sensei was smiling slightly at Kiba-kun's face. _'Brings back memories,'_ thought Hinata fondly.

Another frame held a recent picture of her, Hanabi-chan, Neji-niisan, and the rest of Team Gai. Lee-kun and Gai-sensei had their thumbs up and were flashing their teeth happily. Her lips twitched when she saw Neji-niisan and Tenten-chan's embarrassed faces. She had her arm around Hanabi-chan. Both were blushing slightly. _'Hanabi-chan is so cute!'_ Hinata inwardly squealed. Doting sister, she was.

Her last frame was a small picture of her and Kakashi sitting at a small table, eating dango. It had been taken a few weeks ago. She grinned, remembering that Kakashi had ordered unsweetened dango.

_"I'd like unsweetened dango, please."_

_Hinata and the waitress stared at him with disbelieving looks. Kakashi raised a slender eyebrow. "Is there something wrong?"_

_"N-no, nothing at all," the waitress stuttered out and left the table. Hinata kept her eyes on Kakashi, still in shock._

_"What? Did I order something wrong?" Kakashi looked at the menu nonchalantly. "They do serve unsweetened dango here; it says so right here."_

_Hinata blinked. "I-I know that, Kakashi... It's just that..." She looked away, trying to find words. "It's just that... Dango is made to be sweet!" she blurted out._

_Kakashi's eyebrow rose, slightly higher than before. "It doesn't say that in the menu."_

_Hinata blinked again before stifling a giggle. "You're right, Kakashi. It's just that dango is called sweet dumpling for a reason." _

_The waitress came back, two plates of dango in her hands. "One order of andango and one order of... unsweetened dango." _

_They took their plates gratefully. Hinata was halfway done with her dango before she looked and saw Kakashi staring at her oddly. "Yes?"_

_"Ah, it's nothing. You just make it look like it's delicious." He ate a dumpling thoughtfully. "I don't like sweet things, so I don't really understand how you young people can eat it so easily."_

_Hinata stared at him. And stared. Before breaking into giggles. "S-sorry, Kakashi... It's just that... you sounded like an old man when you s-said that!" she managed to breath out before giggling again. _

Kakashi had frowned and denied it, but Hinata was thoroughly convinced that Kakashi had talked like an old man that day. She looked at the picture fondly. Their faces were seen perfectly and their eyes expressed their feelings clearly. It was taken at the exact moment she said Kakashi sounded like an old man by a strange sunglass wearing ninja. Her face had been slightly flushed while Kakashi... Hinata couldn't see it, but she knew that behind his mask, Kakashi had been sporting a childish pout. His eye said it all.

"Hinata! You okay?" came Kurenai-sensei's voice by the door.

Hinata placed the picture of her and Kakashi gently on the table. "Yes, I'm alright, sensei."

There was a pause at the door. "Oh! Have you heard that Naruto came back? Shikamaru told me and Asuma about it."

"Yes, I heard from Kakashi." She blushed slightly. How did everyone know about her feelings for Naruto-kun?

"Oh, could you come give me a hand with dinner? Asuma and his team will be joining us."

"Ok, I'll be down in a bit."

She sent one last look at the picture before leaving her room. _'I hope Kakashi returns back safely from his mission.'_

* * *

Sorry, if there really are unsweet dumplings. I have no idea how dango are made and their flavors. The limited information from the internet I found didn't explicitly say there wasn't unsweet dango. Lol, well, forgive me if I got it wrong.

Please read and review :)


	13. Cigarrette Smoke

It's... saddening to not receive a lot of reviews after you post up a chapter... I got a whole lot of hits and views too... Gahh, maybe it's just me being selfish?? Or am I just spoiled??

LOL, anyways, thanks to those of you who reviewed! I love my reviewers so much. There's something about getting feedback and praise that makes an author sooo HAPPY. :)

So those of you who are unsure about reviewing, just review anyways! I don't mind; I love all and any reviews. If I need to improve something, don't hesitate to tell me. If I'm doing everything perfectly, I'd love to be told that :)

Anyways, enjoy!

* * *

Hinata walked to her team's meeting place happily. She had woken up earlier today and made some bento for her and her teammates for their mission. Everything had turned out great.

Her sharp hearing caught Kiba-kun's loud voice. _'Who's he talking to?'_ thought Hinata, noting another unfamiliar voice replying back.

She turned the corner curiously… and gasped. Loudly. She blushed heavily when she caught sight of an orange jumpsuit. All three boys looked at her oddly.

"Ehh? Hinata-chan?!" yelled Naruto.

'_I knew he was back… but I didn't think I would have to face him so soon!... Wait, does that mean Kakashi is back?' _Hinata smiled. She had missed her silver-haired friend these past two weeks.

"H-hello, Naruto-kun," she said softly.

She looked up and saw Naruto-kun standing uncomfortably close to her. _'D-don't faint, Hinata! What would Kakashi say?'_ She shook that thought away, knowing he would tease her endlessly if he found out she fainted when she saw Naruto-kun again.

"A-ano… Welcome back to Konoha, Naruto-kun."

To her relief, Naruto-kun smiled. "It's great to be back, Hinata!"

Hinata stood there, trying to think of what to say. "Umm… How was your m-mission?"

Her heart dropped when Naruto frowned. _'Did I say something wrong?'_

"It was tough. Some bad guys kidnapped Gaara. We were sent to help with the effort in returning Gaara. We had some tough fights, but…" Naruto-kun smiled. "In the end, we managed to save Gaara."

Hinata smiled with him. "T-that sounds great…" She remembered that Neji-niisan's team had been sent as back up. Fear welled up in her at that thought. "Y-you said there were some tough fights… I hope no one was hurt too badly…"

Her heart leaped painfully when Naruto frowned thoughtfully. "No one was hurt too bad. A bit beat up, but that's it." Hinata exhaled in relief. "Oh, Kakashi-sensei's in the hospital right now, though. He-"

Hinata's eyes widened in shock. Without waiting to hear the rest of his words, she threw her bento at Shino-kun and left the area swiftly in the direction of the hospital.

She had worried for Gai-sensei and Lee-kun, since they were the most prone to injuries. Hinata hadn't expected that it would be Kakashi that was hurt. Fear filled her heart, clouding her mind. _'What happened to Kakashi? He… he can't be hurt too badly!_'

* * *

Naruto looked where Hinata had been standing until a few seconds ago in shock. "F-fast…" he said.

Beside him, Kiba laughed. "Fast? You should see her when she uses Shunshin. In seconds, all the enemies are down and she hardly broke a sweat."

Naruto gaped. "What? Hinata-chan?" He looked at the direction she went. The hospital was vaguely visible from there. "She went to see Kakashi-sensei? Why?"

Shino spoke from his spot in front of the tree. "Do you not remember our first C-ranked mission? Hinata and Kakashi have a prior relationship."

Naruto gasped in shock. "R-relationship? Kakashi-sensei and Hinata-chan? Ehhhh?"

Kiba gaped. "What? What the hell are you saying Shino? Hinata wouldn't go out with a guy like Kakashi!"

Shino sighed. "Are you two idiots? No, why am I even asking. Even an insect would discern from what I said that during our first C-rank mission, they had a prior relationship. Hinata was twelve at that age; what would a twenty-six year old man be doing with her? No, he and she are teacher and student."

Kiba and Naruto sighed in relief. "Dang, you had me worried there for a second, Shino." Kiba narrowed his eyes dangerously. "I thought I would've had to make a visit to see Kakashi."

Naruto looked at him oddly. "What?"

Kiba grinned, showing his fangs. "No one messes with Hinata, especially not some old man!"

"Kakashi-sensei isn't an old man!" shouted Naruto angrily. "And he wouldn't mess with Hinata!"

"Oh yeah? How would you know?" challenged Kiba.

Naruto narrowed his eyes and searched his mind. "B-because! Kakashi-sensei wouldn't go after Hinata of all people!" he declared.

Kiba and Akamaru growled dangerously. And was it his imagination, but was Shino _buzzing_?

"Are you saying Hinata's not good enough for Kakashi?" snarled Kiba.

"If anything, it is the other way around, Naruto. You are sorely mistaken if you think that Kakashi is deserving of Hinata's affections," said Shino quietly. Naruto didn't miss the undertone of a threat in his voice.

Naruto burst out angrily. "What the hell?! I didn't say that! I just said that Kakashi-sensei wouldn't go after Hinata! She's like," Naruto did the math in his head. "Fourteen years younger than him!"

It was quiet for a second before Kiba and Akamaru backed off and Shino stopped buzzing. "You make a point, Naruto. You should have clarified what you said earlier."

"You guys are the ones who made the wrong assumption!" Naruto looked at the trio curiously. "Why would you care who Hinata goes out with anyways?"

Kiba and Shino, he couldn't see his eyes through his sunglasses but he just knew, stared at him, boring holes into him. "Because she is our teammate and she deserves the best," said Shino simply.

"Yeah, even if she does want an idi-"

"I think it would be prudent to finish this conversation and meet up with Kurenai-sensei," spoke Shino in a warning voice.

Kiba snorted and waved his hand lazily. "Whatever, Shino."

Naruto watched the exchange curiously. _'What in the world are they talking about?'_ Shino's words registered and he forgot all about it.

"What?! You guys are leaving? What about helping me on my mission?" he whined.

"Sorry, Naruto, we gotta go. We have a mission with Kurenai-sensei today."

"Yes. Hinata is going to be late, though," said Shino. "She will understand when we explain the circumstances."

Kiba nodded sharply and jumped on Akamaru. "Let's Go! Later, Naruto!"

Naruto watched the two leave dismally. "Darn, now I gotta go find more teammates."

* * *

Kakashi opened his eye blearily. "Ahh, here again."

A shadow fell on him; he turned his head and looked at the person. Indigo hair, pale skin, lilac scent, and tell-tale Hyuuga eyes.

"Hinata?"

The girl walked up to him slowly. "Kakashi... You got hurt...?"

Kakashi smiled. "No, I didn't. Just chakra exhaustion. I used my new form of Sharingan too much on this mission."

Hinata nodded, a small frown on her lips. "What?" he asked curiously.

The girl shook her head, a small blush forming on her cheeks. Kakashi's curiosity grew. _'Blushing? For what?_'

"Ano... Y-you're not wearing your mask..." she said softly.

His heart sped up slightly. "W-what?" She hadn't seen his face... had she?

"Your face is covered! If you're wondering... Your blanket's on it... But this is the first time... I saw your nose... and upper cheeks..." Hinata's blush deepened, much to Kakashi's amusement.

He decided to make it even darker. "Would you like to see the rest of my face?" he asked lightly, a small lilt of teasing in his voice.

He succeeded. Hinata shook her head quickly, her cheeks rapidly darkening. Her eyes gave it all away, though. A small spark of curiosity was in them and a hopeful look had found its way to her face. He grinned. She really did want to know.

Kakashi weakly sat up. The blanket fell down and his face was uncovered. Hinata gasped and swiftly covered her eyes. "N-no! I can't!" she yelled.

He tried to hold it in, really, but it was too much. He burst out laughing. "Uncover your eyes, Hinata," he said, a smile on his face.

The girl shook her head. "I-I can't. I can't. I probably shouldn't..." Her voice got lower before her hands finally fell down. Her eyes focused on his face. Her already dusted red cheeks darkened, making her cheeks look sunburnt.

Kakashi watched her reaction amusedly. _'She really is too much fun.'_

Hinata's body shook and her lips quivered. Kakashi looked at her worriedly. "What's wrong, Hinata?"

"I... I saw your face... I... can't believe it." Hinata looked at his face and peered closer. She placed a soft hand on his cheek. Kakashi idly thought of how gentle she was touching him, when her fighting style was anything but. The irony amused him even more. "I-I'm touching your face," she breathed out wonderingly.

Kakashi's heart sped up until it was pounding in his chest like a drum. _'It's not because Hinata's touching me. It's not. It's because no one's seen my face for years... that's all,'_ thought Kakashi with conviction. He applauded himself proudly... until Hinata's fingers slid down his face, leaving tingles where they touched. His heart leaped, threatening to escape its secure place.

"I thought you would be pale... and I was right." Hinata chuckled. Kakashi breathed an inaudible sigh of relief when Hinata drew her fingers back.

"You're very handsome, Kakashi," commented Hinata. "I always wondered why there was no one in your life."

Kakashi smiled, an amused look on his face. "I live for my students and Konoha. The life of a ninja is dangerous. There is no need to find someone when I could die my next mission," he said simply. Hinata nodded in understanding.

He laid back down and covered his face with the mask on his bedside table. _'Don't want any nosy nurses seeing me.'_ Kakashi inwardly shivered, contemplating the idea of fangirl nurses. They were damn persistant woman, one of the most annoying forms of fangirl.

"I'll let you rest, Kakashi. I have a mission to do," said Hinata in a guilty voice.

Kakashi nodded. "I'm sure Kurenai will understand."

Hinata smiled at him. "Thank you for letting me see your face. I'm glad that I am one of the few people that have seen it."

"No problem. We're equals, remember? Friends, precious comrades, and such. I just felt like it, anyways," said Kakashi nonchalantly.

The girl nodded. "Goodbye, Kakashi. Get well soon." The girl made a seal and disappeared in a flurry of leaves.

Kakashi looked at the recently vacated spot. There was no need to tell her that it was really just another form of teasing her. She could find that out on her own. Kakashi grinned.

* * *

The soft whoosh of air moving and rustled clothing alerted Sai to another person's presence. He tensed up slightly, but relaxed when he saw a weak-looking girl walk in.

"Ano... Hello, everyone." Even her voice sounded weak. _'No, I can't think like this. How will I make friends if I refer to people like this?'_

"Ehh? Hinata-chan? What are you doing here?" asked dickle-, no, Naruto.

The pale girl blushed, further enhancing her weak image. "I'm here to see Kakashi."

Sai noted the lack of suffixes and spoke up. "Kakashi?" he asked. "No suffixes... That means that you two are lovers."

Everyone in the room snapped up, all looking at him strangely. The weak-looking girl's cheeks turned even more red. _'Did I say something wrong?'_

"SAI! You can't just say stuff like that!" yelled Hag.

"What?" he asked bemusedly.

From his spot on his bed, Kakashi coughed. _'A fake cough,'_ he noted. "What makes you think that Hinata and I are lovers?"

_'No suffixes,'_ he noted again. "I am sorry if I made a mistake. It said in this book I was reading that no suffixes are usually reserved for family and lovers."

"EHHHH? LOVERS!?" yelled Naruto.

"No suffixes...?" spoke Hag softly. "You guys... _are_ lovers?"

The girl, Hinata, blushed even darker. "N-no! We're not." The girl turned to look at him. Sai shifted uncomfortably. They were Hyuuga eyes, but it wasn't that that made him uncomfortable; it was the strange kindness that they held towards him. It made him uneasy; he wasn't used to such unconditional friendliness. Even Naruto and Hag hadn't been that kind to him when they first met. "That would be an easy mistake to make, if you used the information from that book, though, Sai-san."

He nodded and looked at his two speechless teammates quickly, wanting to avoid the girl's gaze.

"Kakashi-sensei! What is the meaning of this!?" yelled his blonde teammate.

Beside him, Hag nodded. "Yeah, Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi sighed and looked up his book. "I regard Hinata as my equal." Sai started slightly. _'Equal? This weak-looking girl? I guess what the book said was true. Looks can be decieving.'_ "I came back from a year-long mission and decided to guage Hinata's skills using the bell test." Kakashi's single eye curved in, what Sai guessed, was supposed to be a smile. "Hinata defeated me using her prowess in taijutsu and tactical skills."

Naruto and Hag hung their mouths in shock. "Hinata-chan? Hinata-chan beat you?" murmured Naruto.

"And it was one-on-one, not two-on-one... And she didn't use a cheap trick..." muttered Hag.

"Cheap trick?" he decided to ask.

Naruto grinned. "Well, we were trying to find Kakashi-sensei's weakness. Spoiling the ending of the _Icha Icha Tactics_ book would force him to cover his ears and his eyes."

The Hyuuga girl giggled softly into her hand. "I can't believe I never thought of that."

Kakashi rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Anyways," he said, "I have a way of making you stronger than Sasuke, Naruto." Sai noted how all people present tensed slightly when they heard Sasuke's name. _'Just how important is this person to them?'_

"Yeah, but how?" asked Hag. "It's clear that Sasuke-kun obviously used a type of drug to make him stronger." The Hinata girl narrowed her eyes as Hag said this.

"You don't think I've been sitting here doing nothing, do you? During Hinata's visits, I asked her a lot about the Kage bunshin. Using her information, I came up with a type of training... This particular method, however, is best for Naruto to do... Or rather, it's something only Naruto can do." Kakashi looked up from his book. "Frankly speaking, with this training, Naruto can surpass even me."

Everyone was silent as they took it in. "Surpass... even you, Kakashi-sensei?"

The silver-haired nin nodded. "Yes. During this training, I'll be with you the whole time. You are going to develop an ultimate ninjutsu. To acquire so much power, though, would take an extensive amount of time and training."

"A massive amount of time?! I already told you, Kakashi-sensei! I have to surpass Sasuke!" burst out Naruto.

"Yeah, well, I thought of a way of shortening the amount of time. It'll be ea-"

Two familiar and two unfamiliar chakra signatures walked in the door. "How's your body doing, Kakashi?" bellowed a brown-haired man.

An ugly, blonde harpy next to him scowled. "You're supposed to knock first, Asuma-sensei." _'Ahh, Sarutobi Asuma?'_

The shadow boy from before looked at him oddly. "Oi, it's you!" The fatso beside him finally noticed him. His eyes lit up in recognition.

"Nice to see you!" said Sai cheerfully. _'A smile is supposed to smooth over any misunderstandings.'_

"Eh, Asuma-san?" spoke the Hyuuga girl. The older man turned to look at her, a guilty look on his face.

"Hello, Hinata."

The girl spoke in a disapproving tone. "What are you doing here? Don't you have to see Kure-"

"Erm, no! Hahaha. I will do that... later," interrupted the man. Everyone turned to look at him suspiciously. '_I wonder who Kure is...'_ "Anyways," continued the man. "You guys go ahead and eat at Yakiniku Q's, okay? Anyone of Kakashi's team can go as well. I'll stay with Kakashi. Oh, Hinata could you stay here?"

"Ehhh, what about my training?!" whined Naruto.

"I'll tell you more about it later, ok?"

"Whatever!" He 'hmmphed' and left the room, following after the three other people. Hag followed after him. Sai took this as his cue to leave.

"Wait, ano... Sai-san!" yelled the Hinata girl. Sai turned around curiously. "It was nice meeting you."

Sai smiled. "Ahh, same here... Weirdo." He left the room quietly, glad that he finally came up with a nickname for the strange girl.

* * *

Hinata blinked. "Weirdo...?" she said to herself. Behind her, she heard snickers. She turned around embarrassedly. "That wasn't funny, Kakashi, Asuma-san!"

Asuma-san's snickers became louder. "Sure, Hinata."

She sighed quietly to herself. "Did you want something, Asuma-san?"

To her surprise, the man blushed. "Oh... umm... is she still mad at me?"

Hinata smiled. "No, she's not. She understands that you couldn't make it to her birthday." She paused, wondering what else to say. "Oh! I think that... she's wondering why you haven't gotten her a present yet, though."

The man gulped. Behind him, Kakashi looked between the two strangely. "Are you guys talking about Kur-"

A knocking at the door interrupted him. The door swung open and in came Kurenai-sensei. "Oh? There you are, Asuma." Kurenai-sensei turned to look at her, a sly smile on her lips. "Hinata? Have you been visiting Kakashi every day?"

Hinata blushed. "I... I was just keeping him company."

Kakashi nodded. "It would have been boring without Hinata here." He turned towards Asuma-san. "Anyways, what were you going to say?"

The man shook his head. "I'll tell you about it later." He left with Kurenai-sensei. Hinata watched them walk away with a knowing smile on her lips.

Kakashi and Hinata looked at each other slowly. "Funny how it's always a full room, then it somehow ends up with us two alone, eh, Hinata_."_

She nodded slowly. "That's true, Kakashi." She turned to look at the time on the clock and gasped. "Oh! I have to meet up with Shino-kun and Kiba-kun. We're going on a mission today."

Kakashi nodded. "I'll see you later then."

She smiled. "Yes. Good luck training Naruto-kun."

* * *

Four figures ran through the trees. The dog of the group barked in a warning tone. "Hinata, scan the area," said Shino.

Hinata nodded. "Byakugan!"

Her sight increased dramatically. "There's a fight northwest of here," she muttered lowly. She gasped. "It's Asuma-san and Shikamaru-kun! They're fighting strange men in black cloaks that have red clouds on them." A faint memory stirred in her mind. Long, black hair and Sharingan eyes came to mind. "Akatsuki..." she breathed. Kiba-kun and Shino-kun's steps faltered.

"Akatsuki? Damn!" yelled Kiba-kun.

"We must aid our fellow teammates in their fight," said Shino-kun. There was no argument as they changed direction and ran quickly towards the fight.

Hinata's byakugan caught sight of four familiar chakra systems. "They have back-up from Konoha." She exhaled in relief when a strange, scarred man forced the masked Akatsuki member back using a difficult genjutsu and a hidden blade. Kotetsu-san and Izumo-san were released from their death grips.

Her breath caught in her throat as she took in Asuma-san's physical state. Without warning, she shunshin'd towards the fight, leaving behind her teammates.

"Asuma-san!" she yelled as she landed next to Ino-chan. Team Asuma barely spared her a glance, too focused on their critically injured sensei.

"We need to get him to the Konoha hospital! Ino! Heal him to the best of your ability!" commanded Shikamaru in a desperate voice.

"Hai!"

The masked Akatsuki member jumped in front of them threateningly. "I'm not letting my prized bounty get away!" he snarled.

Hinata snapped to attention and stood in front of Team Asuma defensively. "I will not let you." She slid into her Hyuuga stance, focusing her byakugan on the man in front of her. _'He has five hearts?! How is that even possible?'_ Hinata breathed in deeply before steeling herself. "Get away from here the moment you find an opening, Shikamaru-kun, Ino-chan, Chouji-kun." The trio nodded.

The masked man twitched before drawing back, his eyes a deep pool of disappointment. "Damn, he's gotta call us back now?" spoke his teammate.

The group stared at them oddly. _'They're... retreating?'_ "It was just getting to the good part!" The two leaped away, but not before speaking ominous words. "We'll be back to play with you guys later!" They disappeared in a poof of smoke.

Everyone was quiet until Asuma-san coughed out blood. "Asuma-sensei!" Ino-chan rushed down to his side and put her hands on his chest, trying to heal his wounds.

Hinata watched on sadly. With her byakugan, she could see that four of his vital points were hit. _'H-he's not going to make it...'_

The brown-haired man stopped Ino-chan. "Don't worry about it, you guys. This is going to be it for me. Even I know that much," he said weakly. "I'm sure you guys know th-"

"SHUT UP!" yelled all the members of Team Ten. Ino-chan concentrated her chakra. Hinata could see from her face that she knew the wounds were too serious.

"I think I finally know... why the Sandaime... did what he did," he spoke quietly. "You three... Ino, Chouji, Shikamaru... listen closely..."

Hinata watched with tears rolling down her face as Asuma-san spoke his last words, encouraging and telling his students his wise words. Asuma-san's way of saying things jokingly even as he lay dying put a small, trembling smile on her face. Her teammates landed next to her quietly and took in the sad scene, all three respectfully quiet.

"Hinata." Asuma-san's voice made her look at him. "Kiba, Shino, Akamaru. Take care of Kurenai... for me." He paused before adding, "Oh, and take care of Kakashi, Hinata." Hinata nodded alongside her teammates. Her tears fell even faster, knowing the pain Kurenai-sensei would go through.

He looked at the sky thoughtfully. "I'd like... one last smoke before I die." Shikamaru lit up a cigarrette for him and he puffed on it thoughtfully. His eyes unfocused and that was when Hinata knew he was no longer alive. "Asuma-san..."

* * *

It was a quiet ceremony. Everyone paid their respects, remembering the big, chain-smoking man who enjoyed his barbeque and played shougi with his student. Tears were shed loudly, quietly, all with sorrow.

The man's lover, Kurenai, did not shed a tear at his funeral, already having cried all her tears for the man she gave her heart and soul to.

Maybe that was why Hinata also did not cry. Maybe that was why she followed Kakashi to Konoha's gates. Maybe that was why she persuaded Tsunade-sama and Shikamaru to let her go as well.

Maybe that was why she felt no remorse, only anger.

* * *

They flew through the trees, all keeping up a vigorous pace. The only one slightly winded was Ino, and that was because she hadn't focused too much on her physical body, only on healing techniques and chakra control.

"Since both Kakashi and Hinata have joined us, I'll have to change the strategy around a bit. I'm going to explain things by dividing it into a number of scenarios. You four need to remember this, alright?"

The group nodded. Shikamaru explained the plan thoroughly and quickly. As he finished up, Hinata looked at him suddenly and spoke. "That masked man, he has five hearts. I think I need to be the distraction for Kakashi. With my byakugan, I'll be able to see the exact location of his hearts and target them perfectly."

He contemplated this. "You're right. Everyone run the plan through your heads three times. We need everyone to image it perfectly for the success of the mission."

Everyone nodded and Hinata activated her byakugan. She quietly spoke. "They're taking a different route, as you said. We'll run into them in ten minutes if we take the northeast route."

"So... shall we?" asked Kakashi. The group nodded and disappeared into the trees.


	14. Revenge

Oh my gosh! This chapter took me forever, ugh. There was so much action and stuff. It just about wears me out. I much prefer the romance. But I really wanted to avenge Asuma's death, hahah. And I wanted to show Hinata's own progress and such. So, please regard this chapter kindly, even if fighting scenes are not your thing.

What to Expect: Lots of fighting. Lots of Hidan and Kakuzu. Quite a bit of swearing.

* * *

Hinata watched the odd pair argue as they walked along the path, occasionally turning their heads. She gave Shikamaru the 'OK', and he set his plan into action.

Shikamaru's extensive knowledge of shadows and his battle tactics made Hinata drop her mouth in awe. _'That was a clever move. I would never have thought of that.'_ It seemed that there was much more to the lazy slacker than what she initially thought.

"Kage mane shuriken no jutsu... successful." It was impressive, all of it. Hinata knew with utmost certainty that Kakashi was also marveling at the shadow user.

She observed from her perch as the big, masked man, Kakuzu, dodged the foul-mouth. _'I can't believe I missed that!'_ She had been too concentrated on what was happening above. _'Pay attention, Hinata. This is for Asuma-san!'_

The signal for Chouji-kun to attack! He flew towards Kakuzu with precision, his hair in devastating spikes. It was useless, though. Hinata saw the man raise his arms, saw the chakra gathering on his skin. _'He's hardening his skin... That makes him invulnerable to physical attacks!'_ Hinata briefly wondered how her Jyuuken would fare against it.

The man confirmed her and Shikamaru's observations. Her byakugan caught sight of Kakashi swiftly making hand seals. _'It's time!'_

Hinata jumped down from her perch and ran towards Kakuzu as Kakashi pulled out his arm from Kakuzu's first heart. Praying to any God out there, she quickly struck one of Kakuzu's masks with concentrated chakra. She jumped back and exhaled in relief as her byakugan saw the heart behind it beat one last time before stopping. _'Two down, three to go.'_

"Ughhh. Uwooooohh!" Hinata held back her disgust as the four masks on Kakuzu's back separated from his body, creating four different entities aside from the user. _'Just what in the world is up with these two? How are they doing all this?'_

The immortal suddenly yelled out. "JASHIN-SAMA! PLEASE WATCH YOUR FAITHFUL FOLLOWER! I'M GONNA GO ALL OUT AND PULL OUT THEIR GUTS!"

Hinata couldn't hold back the small shiver that ran down her spine as she watched the six entities turn to face them. She was slightly relieved to see two of the black, masked forms dissolve into black nothingness.

"What the?" said both Chouji-kun and Shikamaru-kun.

"Hahahah! Two of your bodies are already dead! You look pathetic Kakuzu!" Hinata was mildly surprised to see his partner yell that out.

Kakuzu ignored him. "Hidan, let me deal with this."

"WHAT? NO! I'VE BEEN WANTING TO FIGHT THEM!" He suddenly grinned. "Let's do the usual, then."

His partner nodded and made a hand seal. Hinata's byakugan caught sight of one of the strange black forms heading towards Kakashi at the same time his partner attacked him. _'No!'_

She looked on, her heart beating wildly against her ribcage, as Kakashi was pushed back by a vicious wind. She noted that Kakuzu did not mind injuring his partner in the crossfire at all. _'I see... With his immortality, it wouldn't matter.'_ She quickly sidestepped all the debris and focused her eyes on Kakashi's body that had met painfully with a tree. She breathed a sigh in relief when he got up slowly with no injuries, just bruises and a missing vest. _'What a strong wind...'_

Her eyes caught another one of the black bodies moving swiftly towards Chouji and Shikamaru. Fire was rushing towards them at a dangerous speed. Hinata quickly applied chakra to her legs and grabbed the two just before the strange life form set the trees behind them on fire. She placed them on a tree limb carefully.

"Thanks, Hinata," said both boys.

She smiled softly. "You're welcome."

"Che, can't believe you let that bitch do that," spoke the immortal.

Hinata turned to face the pair, her byakugan noting every twitch and facial expression. The immortal, Hidan, suddenly grinned. Hinata suppressed the slight shiver that threatened to course through her body at the sight.

"Hey, bitch. You're pretty hot. I bet you're a virgin too." Hinata's cheeks burned. In anger or embarrassment, she did not know. "You'd make a great sacrifice to Jashin-sama." His grin twisted into a sadistic leer and he stepped towards her.

Hinata made sure not to give away any expression as Kakashi ran towards the immortal with a Chidori in his right arm. The sound of chirping birds erupted as he neared him. Hidan grimaced and dodged Kakashi's attack with a grace that Hinata had not expected could come from the man.

The wind body attacked Kakashi again while he was still open. It came back relentlessly and battered Kakashi down over and over again, not giving him a chance to counterattack. Hinata, now overcome with anger, threw a few kunai at the offensive wind and made a few hand seals.

"Katon: Ryuka no jutsu!"

The flames spewed from her mouth and followed the wires that were connected to the kunai she had thrown. Hinata watched as the wind died down and made her fire jutsu even stronger, much stronger than she could ever hope for as a water-type ninja.

Weakened slightly from the immense effort it took to convert her chakra to a fire jutsu, she barely managed to make the seal for the Kawarimi jutsu. The immortal's black scythe slashed through it cleanly, cutting it into worthless wood.

"Nice one, bitch."

The man followed her up the tree with his scythe. Hinata was relieved to note that he was much slower than she was, even with her weights. _'It must be his scythe.'_ He suddenly appeared in front of her, wielding his scythe threateningly. Hinata quickly shunshin'd, not allowing him to land a hit on her. _'One scratch, one drop of blood, and I'm done for.'_

_

* * *

_Shikamaru dodged Kakuzu's black threads that were attacking him and Chouji. They suddenly drew back, causing Shikamaru to look around in alarm. _'What's going on?'_

A fight in the trees grabbed his attention. The black threads were attacking Hinata on the tree trunk, while she was also simultaneously dodging Hidan's scythes. "Damn it! Hinata!"

He crouched his knees to give her some help, but Kakashi beat him to it. A Chidori in his right arm, he sliced through the black threads and forced the immortal to draw back. Hinata and Kakashi jumped off the tree and landed next to him. Shikamaru quickly gave Hinata a once-over, searching for any cuts. She noticed and smiled at him.

"I'm ok. Evasion is one of my best talents."

Shikamaru nodded, and the pounding of his heart slowed down slightly. _'If what happened to Asuma-sensei happened to another person...'_ He shook his head to clear his thoughts and analyzed the situation.

"They have amazing teamwork..." muttered Ino as she landed next to them.

He nodded, a plan already forming in his mind. Kakashi turned to him, a serious look in his eyes. "You have a plan?"

"Yeah." He looked at the group gathered around him, all looking towards him for guidance. He breathed in before slowly releasing the air. "Their teamwork is deadly. We have to somehow split them up."

Ino spoke up. "I'll do it. I've barely used any chakra and I'm still fresh."

Shikamaru shook his head. "No. There's nothing you can do against him. If you get too close, he'll get your blood and..." He didn't finish his sentence, but they all knew what he was talking about. "I'll catch him in Kage mane and lead him away from here... but we'll need someone to distract them."

Hinata and Chouji both spoke up at the same time. "I'll do it."

He grimaced. "No. Both of you are close-range fighters. That'll just get you unnecessarily too close to him." His mind churned, coming up with all the possibilities and strategies. "I'll do it alone. You two will help with the masked man."

Kakashi gave him his support and handed over the capsule filled with blood. "Good luck, Shikamaru."

Shikamaru felt the resolve filling him. _'It's time... to play my part.'_

* * *

Hinata watched as Shikamaru led the immortal man away. The masked man questioned them.

"You sure you want to let that kid take on Hidan alone? You guys are just asking for him to die. Pity, too. A couple more years, and I'm sure he would've made a nice bounty." He shrugged. "Oh well. Anyways, good luck fighting me. I am strong, even if you guys did somehow manage to take out two of my other hearts." He raised his arm, black threads coming out. "I've got way more battle experience than you guys."

Hinata took in his words as she slowly got into position. Her eyes followed his movements and shifted her body to match his.

"Looking at your forehead protectors remind me of the first Konoha ninja I fought. The Shodai Hokage, that is."

Everyone gasped aside from Kakashi. _'Just how old is he?'_

"You're really immortal?" asked Kakashi.

The man snorted. "No way. No one's really immortal. No, by taking out somebody's heart and replacing it with mine, my life span somehow lengthens. I take it from a strong shinobi while he's still alive." He got into a lazy, yet battle-ready position. "And now, I'm going to replace it with the two of yours, Hatake Kakashi, Hyuuga!"

His two Fire and Wind masks melded together. Hinata, seeing the strange chakra in them mix, quickly issued a warning. "Get out of the way!"

It was just in the nick of time, really. The two attacked together, the wind fueling the fire, making it even more vicious.

Hinata jumped up and made hand seals, hoping that it was in time. She gathered her chakra, then converted it into water.

"Suiton: Suikodan no jutsu!"

A large shark made of water sprang forth and attacked the water. Hinata hoped that it would douse it somewhat. A wall of water combated it from the side. Both her and Kakashi's water jutsu managed to make the massive fire die down, but it wasn't enough with the wind mask fueling the fire.

Hinata suddenly noticed Kakuzu's black threads heading towards Kakashi. "Watch out!" she yelled. It was too late; Kakashi's leg was caught in midair and he was thrown down. Hinata quickly dropped her weights and gathered chakra to her fingertips, concentrating it so it was a sharp, cutting edge. She flickered and cut through the black threads then quickly sent the masked man flying back with a well-placed kick to his chest. The man hit a tree trunk hard before growling and standing up, a malicious glint in his eyes.

Ignoring him, she focused on Kakashi. "Are you alright?" she asked worriedly. Her byakugan scanned him and detected no injuries.

"Yeah, thanks." His eye crinkled before he swiftly stood up. They both turned to face the man. Hinata's knees buckled slightly at the crazy amount of killer intent emanating from him.

"You!" The man caught his blank eyes with hers. "I'm going to grab your heart and make sure you feel the pain!"

He swiftly moved towards her and Kakashi. Hinata separated from him and distanced herself from the angry masked man. Her eyes caught a flicker of movement, and she quickly blocked the man's fist before sending him a kick. He moved back before snarling and moving in again. With her byakugan, she noticed Kakashi combating the two masks.

Resolve flowed through her and she swiftly ran towards him, aiming for his heart, for anything. He managed to evade her attacks and returned them using a tricky combination of his threads and his own repertoire of ninjutsu. Hinata, already slightly beaten down with Hidan's fight, fought back, trying to evade, block, and hit at the same tim.

She flinched as one of his hits connected. He took advantage of her opening and pinned her down by the neck with his threads and pushed her forehead protector into her neck harshly. "I'm going to tear your heart out!" Fear filled her as he slowly descended upon her. Praying to any God out there that wasn't Jashin-sama, she hoped that Shikamaru-kun had made his move.

Her prayers were answered as the man grasped his heart in pain. "What the?" Confusion flitted through his eyes before they lit up in understanding. "When did you guys manage to get my blood?"

She grinned weakly and ignored the pain in her neck and spoke. "Kakashi got it when he hit you with h-his Raikiri." She coughed, feeling her windpipe tighten. Her byakugan slowly deactivated from the lack of concentration having no air provided. Fortunately, Kakashi had managed to avoid the two masks and kicked the man off of her. He landed on the ground limply. Her airway now clear, she gulped in greedy breaths of air.

"You ok?" he asked, masking the slight concern in his voice.

Her grin grew slightly. "Yes, thanks to you and Shikamaru-kun," she said hoarsely.

He nodded. "He does have good timing."

Ino-chan and Chouji-kun landed next to them. "Hinata-chan! Let me heal your neck for you."

Hinata shook her head. "No, not yet," she rasped.

She tilted her head meaningfully towards the two black forms running towards them. Chouji-kun faced them and made a set of hand seals as Ino-chan helped her up.

"Baika no jutsu!" Hinata watched Chouji-kun grow massively and hit the ground for a jutsu. Her eyes caught a quick movement from the side and she watched in horror as the Wind mask disconnected with the Fire mask and melded with the main body.

The body twitched and the man slowly stood up, black threads moving along his body. His eyes flashed in anger.

"How dare you! No one's ever destroyed three of my hearts!"

Black threads erupted from his body too fast for her to dodge in her weakened state and held on to her and Ino-chan tightly. She noticed that everyone else was caught as well. _'Oh no!'_

"DIE!" he roared as he pepped up his Fire mask. _'It can't... It just can't end like this!'_

Fire met water and a blast erupted, sending everyone backwards. Hinata flew back, but managed to stay up. Her legs buckled, but she forced herself to stand upright. She had already seen who had rescued them; a feeling of gratitude rushed through her.

_'I can't let Naruto-kun see me so weak!'_

* * *

Kakashi exhaled in relief. "Whew. Good job, you guys!"

"I've never seen you so beat up, senpai," said Tenzou. "He must be pretty strong, then."

Naruto suddenly spoke up. "Where's Shikamaru?"

"He's fighting another guy by himself. I need two people to back him up." Kakashi looked over the people and made his decision. "We need a long-range fighter and a medic. Sai, Sakura, you two go. Hinata you go as well and lead the way."

They nodded and set off. Kakashi sent one sparing glance at Hinata's figure. _'I hope they don't run into any trouble.'_

_

* * *

_Sakura jumped through the trees, following Hinata's lead.

"Ne, Hinata. How are your injuries?" she decided to ask, noting the bruises around her neck.

The girl grimaced before speaking in a quiet, raspy tone. "I am fine. He held me down by the neck. I guess he squeezed a bit too hard."

"Do you want me to heal it?" she offered helpfully.

The girl shook her head. "No, save it for Shikamaru-kun."

The rest of the way was quiet as Hinata recalled the destination from memory. Sakura took note of this. _'Panting, not activating byakugan, shaking limbs... She's obviously got signs of chakra exhaustion,'_ she thought sympathetically. Fighting one of the Akatsuki was not actually easy. This was something she had learned while fighting Sasori.

A loud explosion coming from the direction they were heading alerted them to Shikamaru's destination. Hinata gasped and sped up. Sakura was surprised to see how fast Hinata was, even in her exhausted state. If she didn't speed up herself, she would have lost the girl. She caught Sai sending Hinata a strange look before also speeding up.

When Sakura finally caught up to Hinata, she looked at her and gasped.

"Hinata! You shouldn't be activating your byakugan! You are obviously already at your... limit..." Sakura trailed off as Hinata stopped and a small smile found its way to her lips.

"Shikamaru-kun succeeded! He defeated the Akatsuki member! And, Naruto-kun got Kakuzu's last two hearts with a strong ninjutsu!" exclaimed Hinata in a hoarse, but happy voice.

Sakura felt a weight lift off her shoulders. "That's great!"

Hinata smiled before she suddenly started swaying. Her hand outstretched to grab onto the tree trunk, but in her exhaustion, she missed it completely and started to fall.

"Hinata!" she yelled out, jumping to catch her.

She was beat to it by a large black creature. Sakura landed on another tree trunk awkwardly and turned around in surprise. On the back of an ink lion lay an unconscious Hinata.

"Sai?" Sakura was shocked, to say the least. She hadn't expected Sai to actually help out or anything.

The boy turned to her with a confused expression on his face. "Yeah, Hag?"

Shock forgotten for the moment, she punched him for using his nickname. "I told you not to call me that!"

He tilted his head before turning to Hinata. "You should probably be tending to Weirdo's wounds."

"Whatev-, wait, what!? Why would you call Hinata 'Weirdo'? How rude!"

He smiled slightly. "She's strange to me. She's too kind, too nice, too friendly, to be a ninja. Yet, Kakashi-senpai regards her as an equal. She's beat up, she's exhausted, yet she gets the same look on her face as Dickless when a friend might be in danger. She is... weird."

Sakura took in Sai's explanation quietly. _'How... true.'_ She lifted a healing hand to Hinata's neck.

Familiar feelings of jealousy welled up in her as she stared at Hinata's prone form. It seemed as if she was always looking at Hinata like this. She would risk so much, her life, her health, her _everything_ for a friend, a comrade. She would fall so many times, but would find the strength to stand up and take a friend's hit. Hinata was so strong. Sakura always felt so inadequate when measured up to Hinata.

Hinata's eyes fluttered open. Sakura watched as she slowly stood up and took in her surroundings.

"I guess... I took a fall. I am sorry, Sakura-chan, Sai-san." She sent an apologetic bow towards her before lifting a hand up to her neck in surprise. Her eyes lit up and she smiled beautifully. "Thank you, Sakura-chan! Your medical skills are so amazing!"

Faced with that sincere and honest smile, Sakura felt the feelings of jealousy fade. "You're welcome, Hinata." A small smile found its way to her lips.

Someone landed on a tree branch in front of them.

"You guys were my backup?" asked a lazy voice.

Sakura and Hinata looked at him guiltily.

"Sorry, we were late."

"Whatever."

* * *

"When you have that kid, I'll have to grow up to protect it... so I'll have to grow up to be a cool adult too!"

Kurenai stared at the pineapple-haired boy, surprise written all over her face, before breaking into a smile.

"Thank you."

Shikamaru nodded before walking off.

Kurenai stared at his retreating back before turning her attention to Asuma's grave.

"You have a wonderful student," she said.

Memories came to her, each one of their time spent together. She smiled slightly as she remembered his proposal.

_"M-marry me." He threw a box into her lap._

_She looked up to stare blankly at him, only to see that he had vanished. A small smile graced her lips before she peeked inside the box. A sparkling diamond ring greeted her._

_She quickly disappeared, intent on finding her future husband._

They had both not wanted to let their private lives be known to the other shinobi, so to ask her to marry him... Kurenai felt a tear slide down her face. She hurriedly wiped it away and placed a hand on her growing belly. _'I wonder if it'll be a boy or a girl?...'_ she wondered.

A small poof of leaves appeared by her side. Kurenai turned to look at the person suspiciously. She smiled when she recognized who it was.

"Hello, Hinata."

The girl, who now had bandages around her neck, smiled back. Kurenai looked curiously at the box in her hands. Hinata noticed and held it out to her.

"Asuma-san told me to give this to you for your anniversary, since he wouldn't have been there. I'm sorry it's so late," she said softly.

Kurenai stood there in shock, not sure what to say or do. _'Our anniversary...'_ She took the box tentatively and stared at it. It was messily wrapped and had a sloppy card on it. It was so _Asuma._ A tear slid down her face, and this time, she didn't stop it.

"T-thank you, Hinata."

The girl smiled softly before disappearing in another poof of leaves, leaving her to herself. Kurenai smiled to herself at her student's thoughtfulness.

She looked at the wrapped box and with shaking hands, she opened the box... and gasped. On top of a small pillow lay a picture of her and him in a beautiful frame as they stared up at each other. There was no mistaking the love in their expressions.

The tears rolled down and she covered her face with her hands.

"Oh, Asuma, why did you leave me?" she sobbed.

* * *

Hinata appeared at the memorial stone and walked up to the dark form standing there solemnly.

"Hello, Kakashi."

"Hello, Hinata."

It was quiet for a few minutes before Kakashi spoke up again. "You fought very well against those Akatsuki. I'm proud of you."

"Thank you." Hinata smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. Kakashi sent her a questioning look. She placed a hand over her eyes, feeling tired all of a sudden.

"It was different... Taking out that man's heart... I was angry and mad... It was different than when I k-killed to protect my teammates." She shuddered before continuing on. "Even if he didn't die... and he was bad... it felt different, killing for revenge."

Kakashi was quiet for a moment. Hinata took that time to contemplate. Confessing her doubts about the whole thing suddenly made her shoulders feel a bit lighter. Kakashi's overall calming presence also helped her balance her conflicting emotions.

"That's true, Hinata," spoke Kakashi. "To kill to avenge someone is different than killing to protect. When you kill for revenge, you are hoping that the pain will go away... but in the end, nothing's changed, your hurt is still there."

Hinata took in his words slowly. _'He's right... I don't feel any better about Asuma-san's death at all... But somehow... talking to Kakashi has made it so much better.'_ She smiled slightly at the comfort she could always find in her silver-haired friend.

A sudden thought occurred to her. "I wonder if Sasuke will feel better... after he finishes his life-long goal."

Kakashi shrugged, his eye visibly tired. "He lives for one purpose only. I guess, now we have to wait to see if he will ever finish it."

"I hope he does find another purpose after he finishes... for Naruto-kun's sake."

* * *

Hahhhh... I am so EXHAUSTED!

I don't know if you guys will like this chapter or not, but I do feel kind of bad for not posting it up sooner, so I'll just post it up now, even if I am kind of unhappy with it.

Anyways, I hope you guys do find it satisfactory :)

Next up will be... Hmm... It's a toss up between Hunt for Itachi Arc and Kakashi's birthday. Which one do you guys want to read?


	15. Dreams and Rice Porridge

First of all, THANK YOU TO ALL MY AMAZING REVIEWERS! I love you guys :) Without you guys, this story would never have gone past three chapters. Hehe...

Second of all, I have to say sorry to all of the people I replied back to and said that I would write the Hunt for Itachi arc first. I was planning to do that, I really was. I even got pretty much all of that chapter done, before I decided to make Kakashi's birthday go first. Why? Well, I want to make Hinata turn 16 as soon as possible.

You see, Kurenai's birthday was in JUNE. Her and Asuma's anniversary (which I made up) was in AUGUST. Kakashi's birthday is in SEPTEMBER, so during the Itachi arc, he will be thirty and Hinata will be only three months from turning 16. I think that Kakashi wouldn't deny his feelings as much if she wasn't a 15 year old girl, and was rather a 16 year old one. So, I'm hoping that maybe after Pain's invasion, Hinata will be 16 and they can finally! admit their feelings or something. Or some of it at least.

Ok, THIRD of all... something weird happened to me. I received a review from... myself. 0.o I know, totally strange. I was freaked out to say the least. I don't remember writing myself a review (I didn't even know we could do that) and it was just kind of... strange. Anyways, the review was really nice, I'm just kind of wondering who wrote it. Maybe it was my sister or something since I am signed onto quite a lot of computers at my house... Haha, anyways, sorry if you didn't want to know that. This is just a way of venting out some... nervousness?

Anyways, **ENJOY!**

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* * *

  
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_Crash!_

The sound of breaking china resounded down the halls. Hinata jumped up, grabbed her kunai holster and weapons pouch, and ran out her door, looking for the perpetrator. She bounded into the small kitchen and scanned the area cautiously... only to see her three-months pregnant sensei on the ground picking up the broken pieces of a tea set she had dropped.

"Oh, Hinata! Sorry about that," the black-haired teacher smiled sheepishly. "I was thinking about... something and I dropped the tea set." From her sensei's pained face, Hinata could easily tell what she had been thinking about. _'Asuma-san...'_

Hinata smiled back in what she hoped was a comforting way. "It's ok. Here, let me pick it up. Why don't you go sit down and rest your legs. I'm sure they hurt rather painfully after watching those academy kids."

Kurenai-sensei laughed. "You're right, Hinata. Thank you."

Hinata carefully picked up the broken pieces of the teaware, trying to find each and every small broken fragment. She wanted to avoid cut feet at any costs, considering that there was a pregnant woman there. As she wiped the floor clean, a random thought came to her. _'I wonder if Kakashi likes tea...'_ Hinata stood up stiffly, her mind traveling down an interesting train of thought.

"Oh, Hinata! What would you like to eat for dinner? I think we'll just have to eat take-out, considering the fact that we have no groceries," said Kurenai-sensei sheepishly, breaking through her thoughts.

Hinata contemplated that idea. _'Take-out? But most take-out foods are greasy. Pregnant woman should be eating healthy!' _Hinata made up her mind. "Actually, I was just about to go to the village shops to buy some groceries. I want to try making this new dish."

Her sensei blinked before nodding. "I guess, if you want to. Please hurry though. I'm a bit hungry."

Hinata smiled. "Of course, Kurenai-sensei."

That said, she grabbed her extra money, stuffed it in her weapons pouch, and left the house. She jumped onto the roofs, hoping that none of the shops had closed yet. The sun was just about to set, so they probably hadn't.

Hinata jumped off the roof just before the shops and walked along the streets looking for a nice place to buy vegetables and lean meat. She hit jackpot at one store and thanked the old woman profusely for her low prices.

She walked back through the streets, too endowed with groceries to jump across the rooftops. Hinata took in all the sights cheerfully, enjoying the comfortable air being in Konoha provided. After having visited less fortunate villages during her missions, Hinata knew how to value her large and fruitful village.

Hinata passed by one shop, looking at the trinkets and such displayed before walking past it... and turning back. Her eyes zoomed in on one particular object, or rather, objects.

Placed artistically on a small, elegant table lay a beautiful set of china tea cups. Sakura petals fluttered off thin branches against the white of the china.

_'How beautiful...'_ thought Hinata as she stared at it in longing. A faint memory of another particular tea set that was now in pieces made its way to her mind. This tea set was way out of her price range, though, but she could admire it, couldn't she?

"Yo, Hinata."

Hinata jumped violently and felt her hands go up in an automatic defensive pose. In doing so, however, she let go of the two paper bags she had been holding. Fortunately for her, her reflexes kicked in and she managed to grab hold of the two bags _and_ catch the apples that had flown out... except for one. A fingerless-gloved hand grabbed it before it could hit the ground.

She looked up to see a familiar face and, now that she thought of it, a familiar chakra signature. The man handed her the apple, an amused look in his eye. "Arigatou, Kakashi."

"No problem." His eye curved in a small smile. "Now, what had your attention so much that you completely zoned out?"

Hinata started. "E-eh? How did you know?"

His eye grinned at her. "Maybe because I've been standing here the whole time."

She blushed darkly and made a mental note to train on her awareness. Reflexes helped a lot of the time, but it was best to be aware of your surroundings beforehand.

"I... I was just admiring that tea set, really..." Hinata shifted her grocery bags and gasped. "Oh! I have to get home and cook Kurenai-sensei dinner!" She took a step before turning back to Kakashi. "Umm... would you like to join us?"

The silver-haired man grinned. "No, thanks, I've already eaten. You go on ahead. I'm sure Kurenai's very hungry. And hungry pregnant woman are not the most... _patient_."

Hinata blinked before giggling softly. "You're right. Well, then, I'll see you later, Kakashi. Good night!" She smiled at him and made her way home, but not before stealing one last glance at the gorgeous tea set.

* * *

Kakashi watched Hinata go with a smile. She never failed to amuse him.

His eye traveled downward and stopped on the thing that had captured Hinata's attention. He tapped his chin thoughtfully before heading to his apartment.

_'I wonder how much money I've accumulated from all those S-rank missions...'_

* * *

_Sakura petals fluttered around her, rubbing their soft velvety-ness on her cheeks, tickling her lips, tangling in her hair. The scenery suddenly changed and tea cups started dancing around her, chanting garbled nonsense in happy tones. _

_She giggled when she saw one in a green leotard and orange legwarmers. Another one with the brightest blue eyes winked at her. She felt her cheeks warm up and looked away from him. A shock of silver hair caught her attention and she walked up to it hesitantly. The tea cup turned around and she was faced with a lazy eye that had an eyepatch over the other._

_It was vaguely familiar, but Hinata couldn't recall _why_ for the life of her. She continued to stare at the teacup's unblinking eye, trying to figure it out, when suddenly, it whipped up an orange book and smacked her with it. _

_"Ow!"_

_Its single visible eye just curved playfully as it continued to hit her. Hinata pouted and tried to defend herself from its unrelenting hits._

_"Please, stop! Why are you hitting me? Why?"_

_The teacup grinned and pointed to a giant grandfather clock that had appeared out of nowhere. It was just about to strike the number thirty and-_

**BEEP! BEEP!**

Hinata jumped up with a jolt. She looked around nervously and caught sight of her alarm clock that was faithfully blaring its head off. Hinata squinted at the bright green numbers 6:30, sighed, and turned it off.

_'What a strange dream...'_ she thought sleepily. _'I mean dancing teacups? With green leotards?'_ Hinata giggled as she recalled the strangeness of her dreams. _'They remind me of Lee-kun and Gai-sensei.'_ Her mind drifted off to one particular teacup... the one that had been hitting her with its orange book. Hinata narrowed her eyes as she remembered. _'Was that meant to be Kakashi?'_ Hinata snorted. _'No way.'_

Hinata stood up and stretched before making her way to the bathroom, intent on readying herself for one of her rare mission-free days. It wasn't until she was just about to rinse out her toothpaste that she remembered the strange grandfather clock. _'What time did it say again? Something-thirty...'_ She shrugged and spat out the toothpaste. Hinata turned around, glanced at the clock, which said 7:00, and made her way back to her room.

She looked at her messy bed and sighed as she picked up the blanket that always seemed to find a way off of her during the night. She blushed as she distinctly remembered that she had been dancing in the sakura blossoms. _'What an embarrassing dream... I mean, dancing teacups that look like my friends... _Kakashi_ as a teacup? And that strange grandfather clock... Something-thirty... Clocks don't even go to the number thirty.'_

_'Kakashi... teacups...' _Hinata placed her pillow gently on her now-neatly made bed. She smiled and admired her handiwork. _'Kakashi as a teacup. Haha. And a clock that goes to thirty...' _She slipped off her sleeping wear and put on her normal, casual outfit before snapping her eyes open. '_Wait! What?!'_

Kakashi. Thirty. KAKASHI. THIRTY. KAKASHI'S THIRTY!?

Hinata ran out of her room and flew into the bathroom, her eyes rapidly scanning the room, looking for a certain calen- Ahh! There it was!

She grabbed it and stared mutely at today's date and what was written under it in Kurenai-sensei's neat handwriting. _'September 15th. Kakashi-san's birthday.'_

Hinata dropped the calender in shock. "Oh my God." She had forgotten about Kakashi's birthday! "I can't believe it!"

"Can't believe w-" The person yawned. "Can't believe what?"

Hinata turned to her sensei with a horrified expression on her face. "Kurenai-sensei! I forgot that today was Kakashi's birthday! I didn't get him anything!"

Her sensei chuckled with one eye opened, the other eye closed. "Hinata, calm down. Take a few deep breaths." Hinata breathed in deeply before releasing it and nodding. Kurenai-sensei opened her other eye and laughed into her hand. Or she may have been yawning. Hinata wasn't too sure.

"Anyways, Hinata. You've still got the rest of the day. Plus, for a man like Kakashi, it's best not to remind him that he's no longer in his young twenties." She leaned against the doorway with a small smile on her lips. Hinata shifted uncomfortably. She knew this look. This was the look that always came to her face when she was thinking about Asuma-san. "Asuma didn't smoke the whole day he turned thirty. He was too in shock, I suppose."

Her sensei turned to her with bright eyes. "I think it'd be best to just spend the whole day with Kakashi and treat him out to lunch and such."

Hinata gasped. _'That... that's a great idea!'_ "Arigatou, Kurenai-sensei!"

The woman smiled. "Don't forget to take pictures." Hinata nodded gratefully. She would've forgotten completely.

Hinata got ready and left the house in record time before heading out to the memorial stone. _'I hope Kakashi's there today.'_ She grabbed a cinnamon bun on the way there.

She had just finished eating the last of the heavenly cinnamon bun (which Kakashi liked to watch her eat, albeit with a disgusted look in his eye) when she reached the memorial stone. With no one there.

Hinata frowned. _'That's strange... Kakashi's usually here earlier than this time.'_ She shrugged it off though. It'd make sense to want to sleep in on his birthday. Especially since he didn't have any missions today.

She gave her respects to Obito-san before heading towards Kakashi's house. When she finally reached the nice, well-kept apartment homes, she knocked on his door, hoping she didn't wake him up. No one answered.

Hinata blinked curiously. _'He's not home?... Is he on a mission? But he told me he had no missions for the rest of the week, since he was going to be with his team.'_ The sun chose this time to rise even higher in the early morning, shining its rays down on the now-bustling village. _'It _is_ kind of early. I guess I'll come back later.'_

She tilted her head thoughtfully. _'I wonder if that sunglasses-wearing ninja will let me borrow his camera...'_

* * *

Kakashi tried to stand up, but was overwhelmed with a sick, dizzying sensation and flopped back down onto his pillow weakly.

_'What...? Am I sick?'_

Kakashi groaned. He hated being sick. The feeling of weakness, of having to have someone fetch everything for him, of having to take _medicine_. '_Ugh.'_

He tried to sit up and thankfully managed to prop himself against his headboard. The effort it took left him feeling breathless and faintly nauseous, though. He ignored it and surveyed the state of his small and tidy room.

A draft of cold, early-morning air blew in through his open window. Kakashi shivered and cursed inwardly. _That's _why he was sick. He'd forgotten to shut his window last night. The cold wind circled around his room slowly.

Kakashi observed it wearily, shivering every so often. Eventually, it got to the point that he was shivering uncontrollably, even without the wind. He slowly slipped down and covered himself tightly with his covers, hoping that it would warm him up.

It didn't.

_'J-just go to sleep, Kakashi. When you wake up, everything will feel better. Yeah...'_ Kakashi drifted off into a hazy and sweat-filled sleep.

_He was fighting in the war again. The number of dead bodies kept rising and he was starting to lose count of how many people he had slain. _

_It was too easy to take a life. One slice across the neck, one practiced Chidori through their heart, and they were as good as dead if they weren't already. _

_Suddenly, his eye started to water uncontrollably. He rubbed it grumpily. "Come on Obito, work with me today."_

_As if in reply, it started to sting painfully. "Ouch! Damn it, Obito!" _

_A loud laugh interrupted his attempt at talking to Obito. Kakashi straightened up and held up his new ANBU ninjato threateningly. A person in a black cloak walked up to him. Kakashi gasped when he realized who it was._

_"Obito..."_

_"You remember me, Kakashi?..." Obito's right Sharingan eye swiveled. Kakashi stared at the empy eye socket where his left, and currently Kakashi's, eye was supposed to be. "I'm surprised..."_

_"Why would you be, Obito?" Kakashi laughed warmly. "You're my best friend." _

_Obito's face turned into a threatening glare. "No, I am not." _

_Kakashi stared at him in stunned silence. Obito grinned. "You didn't realize how important I was to you until I died, did you? Well, you can't call me your best friend if I never was."_

_"No, no, you're wrong. You were always my best friend," said Kakashi, trying to deny what his friend was saying._

_"Really...? Why don't you prove it? How about giving me my eye back?" asked Obito in his regular cheerful voice._

_Kakashi nodded and Obito walked towards him. With each step, however, the red of his Sharingan eye got darker, more sinister. With each step, Obito's left eye stung like crazy and left Kakashi in a painful spasm. _

_"You feel it, Kakashi? My eye burns with hate, with anger, with disgust."_

_Kakashi stared at him, his eye watering. "Why? Why, Obito?"_

_"Why, Kakashi?" he hissed. "Because I hate you."_

_"No!" _

_"It's true, Kakashi! I hate you! I gave my life for you! I gave you my eye. That's the only reason why you would call me 'friend' now!" _

_"No! Obito, please!"_

_Tears rolled down his cheeks in hot, sweaty rivulets. Fire was everywhere around him, all around Obito. _

_Flickers of all the various faces Obito had made in their Team Minato days flashed by._

_Him in his stupid-looking goggles._

_Him with tears in his eyes._

_Him telling him that the White Fang was a true hero._

_Him with the whole entire right side of his face crushed._

_"NO, OBITO!" _

_He was sobbing now. Seeing his friend again, seeing him well, seeing him so determined... seeing him dead and still telling him to go on..._

_"No, Obito, please, please..."_

_Through the fire, the heat, a soft and cold touch pressed against his forehead. Kakashi closed his eyes and leaned into this touch._

_"Shh... It's ok, Kakashi... Shh... Go back to sleep," murmured a low, comforting voice._

_Suddenly the flames disappeared, leaving him alone in a dark landscape. _

_"No, I don't want to be alone," he said desperately._

_"It's alright, I'm here. I'll stay here with you." _

_Exhaustion started setting in, but Kakashi had to make sure before he could finally let sleep overcome him._

_"Promise...?"_

_Heat enveloped him, but this time it was a warm heat, a comforting heat. _

_"Of course."_

_Darkness finally settled and he closed his eyes and drifted into a dreamless sleep._

_

* * *

_

Hinata stood outside Kakashi's door undecisively. _'To knock... or to just go in?...'_ Hinata shook her head. _'No, that'd be rude.'_ Finally having made up her mind, she knocked on the door gently three times. No one answered. Again.

She looked at in frustration. This had been the third time she had knocked on his door since this morning. Each and every time had been responded to with no answer. Hinata _knew_ that Kakashi wasn't in the village or at the memorial stone _and_ he wasn't on a mission. (That one she had confirmed with the Hokage herself.) So where in the world would he be but his own apartment?

Plus, she could feel his chakra signature inside. Hinata briefly wondered if he was purposely ignoring her, but then shook that thought away. Kakashi had never ignored her in all the years she had known him, and she had done nothing to warrant it. She hoped.

Hinata looked up suddenly when she felt Kakashi's chakra signature flare up, then decrease. It did that constantly for the next few seconds. Hinata grew increasingly worried. _'Those are signs of... violent nightmares and/or fever!'_

Forgetting about being rude or not, Hinata jumped onto the roof and ran towards Kakashi's open window. She jumped inside fluidly and gasped at what she saw.

On his bed laid a very sweaty and shaking Kakashi. He was mumbling incomprehensible words, but Hinata took no notice of that. Instead she focused on the paleness of his upper cheeks, the panting of his breath, and the feverish way he was shaking.

_'He's sick!'_

Hinata felt horrible. She could've helped him such a long time ago and had instead spent her time on what was _rude_ or not. Who had she been trying to kid anyways? Kakashi didn't care about all those polite things at all!

Kakashi suddenly cried out. "No, Obito, please!"

Hinata rushed to his side and felt his forehead. _'He's burning up! This is a serious fever!'_

"NO, OBITO!" he yelled feverishly. Hinata flinched at his cry. _'He's dreaming about Obito-san...'_

"No, Obito, please, please..."

Hearing the hurt in his voice, the utter despair in his usually placid and teasing tones made her heart pound painfully. She could feel his pain, could understand what he was going through and it _hurt_.

She placed her hand against his forehead and spoke in a low, soothing voice. "Shh... It's ok, Kakashi. Shh... Go back to sleep."

He leaned into her touch but suddenly recoiled.

"No, I don't want to be alone." She heard the desperation in his voice and felt her heart break a little.

Hinata could only offer him words that she hoped would comfort him, if only a little. "It's alright, I'm here. I'll stay here with you."

He quieted down for a little bit before speaking up again.

"Promise...?" he asked in a low voice.

"Of course."

He sighed before finally drifting to sleep. Hinata could tell from how his breaths were deeper and less needful. He shook ever-so-slightly under his one bed sheet. Hinata bit her lip and looked around his small room frantically for extra covers. Not finding any, she ran out and searched the closet next to his bathroom.

Thankfully, she found a few dusty blankets in a small brown box. She picked a few up and shook them forcefully, filling the hallway with clouds of dust. She coughed when she accidentally breathed some in. She was relieved beyond belief when she had finally un-dusted them.

Hinata wrapped blanket upon blanket on Kakashi's shaking form and exhaled in relief when he started to sweat. _'Hopefully he sweats out the fever. For now, I can make sure he fills his stomach with food and drinks lots of water. I wonder if he has any fever-reducing pills...'_

She walked into the kitchen with a familiar ease and smiled when she saw the take-out boxes they had gotten last week when both had had the rare day off of missions and had decided to eat together. She threw them in the trash and searched through his cabinets for any type of medicine. She frowned when she came up empty-handed. _'He has no medicine at all.'_ She checked his fridge and her frown deepened._ 'There's no food either. Well, he _did _just get back from a mission the other day.'_

She sighed and checked on Kakashi. He was doing fine, so against her will, she jumped out of the window and started on her way to the pharmacy. A spark of ingenuity came to her and she put her hands up into a familiar seal. "Kage bunshin no jutsu!" A shadow clone popped into existance. Her clone looked at her questioningly. "Go stay with Kakashi. If he wakes up, please give him some water. Should something happen, just pop, ok?" Her clone nodded and jumped back inside Kakashi's window. Hinata set off, feeling a bit more at ease about leaving Kakashi alone.

* * *

Kakashi snapped his eyes open and stood up abruptly. Before being hit by a dizzy spell. He weakly grabbed his head as it throbbed painfully. "Ugh," he groaned.

"Are you alright?" asked a quiet voice beside him. Kakashi turned to her sharply, cursing himself inwardly for not sensing anyone earlier. He relaxed when he realized it was Hinata.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

She smiled at him rather vaguely. Kakashi narrowed his eyes suspiciously. _'That's not Hinata.'_ Maybe to any other person, they would have taken her smile without suspecting a thing, but Kakashi knew all of Hinata's smiles, knew how she laughed, knew how her eyes crinkled when she smiled at him.

"Who are you?" he growled.

'Hinata' looked at him, a questioning look on 'her' face. "Huh?"

Kakashi gave 'her' no warning and grabbed the kunai he always kept by his bedside and threw it at 'her'. His aim was kind of off but it managed to hit 'her' shoulder. Shock flashed across 'her' features before 'she' disappeared in a poof of smoke.

"What'd you do that for?" asked a curious voice at his window.

Kakashi turned sharply and looked at the Hinata on his windowsill suspiciously. "Are you Hinata?" Stupid question, yes, but it was taking him all his concentration and will-power just staying upright.

Hinata looked at him strangely in the way only Hinata can. "Umm, yes... Are you ok, Kakashi?"

He stared at her questioning eyes before falling back on his bed ungracefully.

"Kakashi! What's wrong?!"

_'Yeah, that's definitely Hinata.'_

"Nothing. Sorry about taking out your shadow clone. You should probably work on making sure they've got your personality down right. That Hinata was pretty suspicious."

He watched her take in his advice and nod resolutely. He grinned. _'She's always working on ways of improving herself.'_

"I'm sorry about leaving you alone, Kakashi. But... you didn't have any food or medicine and..."

"It's ok. It's not like you have to stay by my side during my entire sickness." He smiled at her. She blushed and mumbled something under her breath. "What was that?" He was pretty sure it had been something along the lines of "But I promised..."

She shook her head quickly and ran out of his room into his kitchen. Kakashi watched her go with an amused look. He listened to the sounds of pots clanging and water running and the occasional muttered sentence from Hinata. Kakashi briefly wondered why his apartment had always felt so empty, yet today, listening to Hinata work in his kitchen so comfortably made it feel so much like _home._

_

* * *

_

Hinata ladled the rice porridge she had made into a large bowl and grabbed a few pills and a glass of water before making her way to Kakashi's room.

"Kakashi, I made some-" She stared at the man who had somehow managed to grab his _Icha Icha Tactics _book and was now giggling like a perverted madman. "Aren't you sick?" she asked suspiciously.

He turned to her with a slightly affronted look. "Of course I am. But I wanted to find out what happens to Seikaku. You see, he manages to snare this nice, busty, blonde and I was wondering whether or-"

"Right. Anyways, I made some rice porridge." She set it on his nightstand and stood there silently.

Kakashi looked at the steaming bowl and back up at her before pouting. "Aren't you going to feed me? I'm sick."

"You're obviously not _that_ sick if you can still read your p-, I mean, books." Hinata blushed at her slip-up. She'd never really told him her particular opinion on his choice of reading material.

The man grinned. "Oh well," he sighed dramatically. Kakashi picked up the spoon and lowered his mask slowly. Hinata looked on, her eyes paying close attention. She had only seen Kakahsi's face twice since he showed it to her that day in the hospital, and she was eager to see it even more. She inhaled slightly when the mask was lowered all the way, showing off the glory that was Kakashi.

He stuffed the spoon in thoughtfully. "This is pretty good," he commented. Hinata blushed. She wasn't quite sure if it was from his comment or from the way his lips moved to form the words. She watched dazedly as he swallowed his food and spooned in some more. _'Kakashi is so handsome... His lips are perfect, on the thin side, but still... and his scar makes him so... sexy.'_ Hinata felt her cheeks burn. _'I cannot believe I thought that!'_

Unfortunately for Hinata, Kakashi took this time to look up and saw the dark blush on her cheeks. It deepened when a knowing smirk graced his lips. _'I've never seen Kakashi smirk before...'_ Hinata couldn't deny that on the older man's face, it looked more like a deviously sexy-NO! _'Stop with these thoughts, Hinata!'_

She stared at Kakashi's long fingers, in hopes of it distracting her from her... inappropriate thoughts. She gasped when she noticed that Kakashi's arms were shaking and beads of sweat were rolling down his face.

He looked up at her. "What?"

Hinata ran up to him and grabbed the spoon in his hand, ignored his questioning look, and held up the bowl to Kakashi. "Here, I'll feed you."

"What's with the change of heart?" he asked curiously, although a tug at his lips suggested a smile was starting to for-NO! _'Keep your eyes off of Kakashi's delicious lips!' _Hinata hurriedly shoved a spoonful of rice porridge into Kakashi's mouth and tried not to think about what she had just thought about. _'I did not just call Kakashi's lips delicious!'_

"Y-you're sick, right? I have to feed you."

She fed him the rest of the porridge silently, too busy thinking about her earlier thoughts.

A click and a flash of light made her eyes snap up and she wielded the spoon threateningly. In front of her, Kakashi had grabbed a hidden kunai and was brandishing it lazily, although Hinata could see the slight shake of his shoulders. There was another click and flash of light. Hinata looked at where it came from and relaxed.

Sitting on Kakashi's windowsill was the sunglass-wearing man with his camera in hand. Hinata smiled and waved at him.

"Hello! Thank you for bringing over your camera."

The man grinned. "No problem. Besides, I got to take a nice picture. I must say, you two are my best subjects. The expressions on your face are always so... expressive." He placed the camera on the bed before beating a hasty retreat. "I was supposed to meet with Tsunade-sama two hours ago," he explained.

Hinata said a silent prayer for him.

Kakashi turned to her, his mask now on properly. Hinata inwardly pouted. His eye curved. "What's the camera for?"

Hnata grabbed the camera and smiled brightly at him. "Happy thirtieth birthday, Kakashi!" She pressed the click button and a flash of light shone. Kakashi's eyes were priceless, she had to admit.

"W-what?" he stammered. "My birthday?" He looked at the calender on his wall in shock. "It's my birthday... I'm thirty..."

Hinata giggled. "Yes, and?"

He shook his head in wonder. "Wow. I can't believe it's my birthday already." His eyes stopped on the pills beside the water. He picked them up, lowered his mask, and popped them in with a large swallow of water.

"Kurenai-sensei said that it might be a bit of a shock to turn thirty."

Kakashi chuckled. "It is." He turned to her with a curious look on his face. "This just might be one of the best birthdays I've ever had, though."

Hinata felt her chest fill up with happiness at his words. "Y-your best birthday ever? Are you sure," she asked hesitantly. "I mean, you had to stay in bed all day with a high fever, you had fever dreams, and I don't have a present at all for you. Oh, sorry about that..."

She looked at him timidly, wondering what he was thinking. To her surprise, a small frown was on his lips. Her heart sank. _'He's considering my words... They are true, I guess...'_

"That's true... I got sick, I didn't get to visit the memorial stone today, I didn't get any presents at all..." He sighed, before winking at her. "But I got to eat a delicious rice porridge made by my friend, even better, she fed me most of it. I also got to sleep in and not go on any life-threatening missions. So, I think that, all in all, this was a pretty great birthday." He smiled dazzlingly at her, a sincere look in his two mismatched eyes. "And it's all because I got to have Hyuuga Hinata at my side the whole time."

Hinata blushed ten shades of red, she was sure of it.

When she finally left his apartment late at night, she still hadn't been able to still her fluttering heart. Every time she looked at Kakashi, her heart felt like it was going to burst. The _ba-dump, ba-dump_ of it seemed to speed up just hearing his voice casually call out to her.

_'I've never felt this way before... only around Naruto-kun...'_ She blushed at _all_ the implications that thought held. _'No! I'm just happy, that's all.'_ She looked back at the light in Kakashi's window. _'That's all.'_

_

* * *

_

Ok, this chapter is finally over! Yay!

Just to inform you guys, this is my longest chapter to date. Haha, it's just over 6000 words. I guess I just wanted to write some KakaHina-ness, to repay for these past couple chapters filled with action and such. Anyways, I hope you guys liked it! I'd love any feedback and such. :)


	16. Deaths

As always, thank you to my wonderful reviewers! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Oh, and for some reason, my chapters keep getting longer and longer. Haha.

* * *

"Orochimaru has been killed... by Uchiha Sasuke."

From Kakashi's place outside, the Hokage's voice was loud and clear. _'Sasuke killed Orochimaru?... He's become stronger than I thought.'_

Naruto's voice demanding that they form a platoon to capture Itachi made Kakashi decide to join them.

"Kakashi-sensei!" gasped Sakura.

"Yo." He raised a hand in greeting before turning to Jiraiya.

The older man grimaced. "So, let's say you make a platoon to find Itachi. What are you going to do then?"

Kakashi let the two puzzle over this before speaking up. "Well, for one thing, we need to have more than one platoon. Two, at the most."

Naruto turned to him, a confused expression on his face. "Ehh? Why do we need more than Team Kakashi?"

"Because to capture someone takes more skill and technique than just outright killing them, right, Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi nodded. "Right. Plus, we're going to need a team that we can work well with. Communication is key. And I've already found a team that fits the criteria perfectly." He turned to the doorway and raised his voice slightly higher than usual. _'Not that I need to, considering who's on this team.'_ "Come on in, Team Kurenai."

The door sprang open and in bounced the Inuzuka boy, Kiba, on his nin-dog. _'Healthy breed,'_ noted Kakashi. His less showy partner, Aburame Shino, walked in with Hinata beside him, wearing a small smile. Much to Kakashi's surprise, when Hinata looked up and met his eye, she quickly looked away with a red blush staining her cheeks. He looked at her strangely before shrugging it off. _'Maybe it's because Naruto's here.'_

"Yo, Naruto, Sakura!" spoke Kiba in a loud voice.

"Greetings."

"Hello, Sakura-chan, Naruto-kun... Kakashi." Hinata's voice was somewhat more subdued than usual.

"Alright, niceties over!" boomed the Hokage. Everyone stood at attention and focused on her. Kakashi noticed the small smirk on her lips as she took in their reactions with glee. "You guys are to find and apprehend Uchiha Itachi in hopes of luring Uchiha Sasuke. Engage in combat only if necessary! Am I clear?" Everyone nodded. She let her smirk grow before finishing up. "Now get out of my office!"

Everyone left a bit quicker than necessary and reappeared outside the Hokage's Building. Kakashi turned to the large group. "Alright, then. Everyone go pack up and meet at the gates in two hours."

They nodded and left. Well, most of them. Hinata stared at him, a strange look on her face. "Yes?" he asked, remembering her earlier reaction.

Her cheeks darkened slightly before she stammered out a quiet, "I was wondering... if you'd mind if I came with you to say good bye... to Obito-san..."

It was Kakashi's turn to stare at her. She bowed her head in embarrassment, not wanting to meet his eye. It took Kakashi a moment to reply, too shocked to really operate his mouth. "Y-yeah, I guess."

She brightened up and led the way to the memorial stone. Kakashi followed behind her numbly. He was rather confused about the whole thing. _'How does she know I visit the memorial stone before I go out on long missions?'_ he thought to himself.

He stood in front of the memorial stone, not really thinking of anything but the strange girl who was kneeling on the ground, who had her hands clasped together and her eyes shut. It was only after she stood up that he found the nerve to ask her.

"How do you know I go to the memorial stone before I go on missions?"

She smiled softly before replying. "Because I always say good bye to Obito-san before _I _go on missions."

It took Kakashi a few moments before he registered Hinata's words. When he finally got it, a strange warmth found its way to his chest, suspiciously close to where his heart was. He could somehow hear the pounding of his heart speed up. _Ba-dump. Ba-dump! Ba-dump!_

Kakashi could think of only one thing as he stood there mutely.

_'Obito, you're a lucky guy.'_

* * *

The group jumped through the trees, heading swiftly towards a small village where Sasuke had been reported seen last. As they leaped agilely across the trees and now-approaching rooftops, Hinata thought back to what had occured at the memorial stone.

_'I'm glad I can actually carry out a conversation with him,'_ thought Hinata happily. _'I was afraid I wouldn't be able to._'

Ever since his birthday, she had been thinking about the strange fluttering in her heart that had mysteriously appeared that day. At first, she had just assumed she was just happy to celebrate Kakashi's birthday with him. That theory had stuck until the next day when he smiled at her. Her heart had sped up dramatically and a blush had rapidly colored her cheeks.

She blushed when she remembered the way he had instantly felt her forehead and asked her if she was sick and that he was so sorry he had spread his sickness to her. The way his hand had felt so gentle against her forehead... and the worried look in his eye... Her blush deepened tenfold and she shook that thought away. _'I'm on a mission! I have to concentrate!'_

So then, her next theory was that maybe she had gotten sick as well, but she had dismissed that thought when three days later, she had healthily completed a B-rank mission with her team.

After that, she had ran out of theories. So now, she was just hoping that maybe it would pass and she would have control over her body when she was with Kakashi. It looked like that idea was working pretty well actually; the familiar comfort of his friendship had eased its way into her heart over the past few days and her blush was now on a controlled level when she spoke with Kakashi. Looking directly into his eye, however, was a different story entirely. The way he would look intensely into her eyes with the smallest hint of a smile in his eye...

Hinata shook her head resolutely, trying to control the heat that had somehow traveled from her beating heart to her cheeks. A few heads turned her way, Kakashi being one of them. He grinned and subtly tilted his head in Naruto-kun's direction with a questioning look in his eye. Hinata shook her head again, all the while blushing.

Kakashi suddenly stopped and landed on a large roof. Everyone followed his lead and landed lightly around him.

"Everyone is going to split up and search in a five kilometer radius. If you find nothing, meet back here and we'll set out again with a larger range," he said.

Sakura-chan spoke up sharply. "Wait, five kilometers? That's out of our wireless range! And we shouldn't go out alone! What if one of us finds Sasuke-kun or one of the Akatsuki? It'll be too dangerous for only one person. We should at least split up into groups of two! At least that way-"

"It's ok, Sakura," interrupted Yamato-sensei gently. She looked at him in surprise and he tilted his head meaningfully towards Kakashi.

Hinata watched as Kakashi finished completing his set of hand seals for his nin-dogs.

"Relax, Sakura, our voices will reach each other as fast as any wireless, and our noses can pick up on anyone in trouble, so there'll always be backup," spoke one of the dogs.

Hinata was ecstatic to see that she recognized him. "Pakkun! I missed you! And it's nice to finally meet the others as well."

Pakkun jumped into her arms with a delighted grin on his face. "Yo, Hinata." The other dogs sent happy grins her way, some barked in greeting as well.

"Ehh, you know Pakkun too, Hinata?" asked Naruto-kun.

Hinata blushed. "Umm, yes. Kakashi and I played a tracking game one time. His and Pakkun's nose against my eyes."

He nodded, a serious look on his face. _'His serious face is really kind of... cute.'_ Hinata blushed at her thought. He broke the seriousness by speaking again. "So who won?"

She grinned slightly. "I did."

A loud cough came from Kakashi. She turned to look at him and broke into a fit of giggles. She couldn't see it, but she knew from the way his eye drooped that Kakashi was pouting. "You cheated," he accused.

Her lips twitched into a small smile. "No, I didn't. Pakkun did."

The accused dog shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not going to let a cute girl be ambushed by you, Kakashi. Plus, she gave me a treat later."

He frowned and gave Pakkun the evil eye before speaking seriously again. "Ok, ok, whatever. Anyways, two of my nin-dogs will go with one of you and will assist in any tracking and battles. Avoid as many fights as you can."

All the dogs split up, leaving her, Naruto-kun, and Yamato-sensei with the biggest dog, Bull. Well, Pakkun was still in her arms, but she knew he would go with Kakashi.

"Ehh, what about me, sensei?" _'I guess he doesn't realize it yet...'_ thought Hinata.

"Since you're a Jinchhuriki, you'll be going with Yamato for back up and Hinata for her scouting abilitites," answered Kakashi.

"And Bull, since he's the loudest," added Pakkun.

"Alright then," Kakashi raised his arm. "Let's go!"

Hinata and her group jumped through the trees. She activated her byakugan and scoured the area, searching for any signs of Akatsuki, Uchiha Itachi, or Uchiha Sasuke. Finding nothing, she let her mind drift off to what Kakashi had said. _'Jinchuuriki...'_

Hinata wasn't stupid; she had suspected something was strange with Naruto-kun's accelerated healing rate and his massive amount of chakra that had two colors. Seeing Naruto-kun's fight against Neji-niisan in the Chuunin Exams had opened her eyes to the strangeness of it all. So, she had studied up quite a few books on Naruto-kun's father, the Yondaime Hokage. Finding out that he had been a seals master and having seen Naruto-kun's demonic red chakra with her byakugan, it was safe to assume that the Yondaime's death had been from sealing the demon into Naruto-kun.

She had yet to confirm it with Kakashi since whenever they _did_ meet, it never crossed her mind, due to her thinking of... _other _things, but hearing him say that had made it all clear. _'Naruto-kun is a Jinchuuriki and has the Nine-tails sealed inside of him.'_

Conflicted feelings entered her. She had been taught to fear the Nine-tails ever since she was born. The demon had devastated over half of the Hyuuga compound in its attack and had taken out the precious Yondaime Hokage... or it was said to have.

Hinata looked at Naruto-kun's intent face, focused on finding his best friend, Sasuke. Somehow, she felt all the doubts leave her as she remembered just who Naruto-kun was. _'He's a shinobi of Konoha and he'd do anything for a friend. He always looks forward, never back. He's my inspiration and the person I admire.'_

Secure in her feelings towards him, she focused even harder on searching, if only for Naruto-kun's sake.

A strange sight entered her byakugan. "Stop!" she yelled. The party stopped and looked at her. She spoke without turning around. "You can come out..." she said slowly, not really remembering the man's name, only that he was one of Orochimaru's henchmen.

The man chuckled and stepped out of his hiding place and everyone turned around to face him. "Nothing ever misses a Hyuuga's eyes, does it?" said a young man. His silver hair that reminded her of another's was pulled back in a low ponytail and his round glasses reflected her gaze.

"Kabuto! What are you doing here?" snarled Naruto-kun as he got into a battle-ready position.

The man chuckled before putting his hands up slowly. "I am not here to pick a fight, Naruto-kun."

"What makes you think we can trust your word?" growled Naruto-kun.

The man, who Hinata now knew as Kabuto, shrugged. "It doesn't really matter if you do or do not trust me, Naruto-kun. Anyways, I have something I'd like to give you."

He reached into his pocket and grabbed a small book. Hinata ignored that in favor of staring at his chakra. _'What is that strange chakra?... It's mixing with his... More accurately, it's fighting for control!'_

"This is information on the organization Akatsuki that we've gathered."

Naruto-kun looked at it suspiciously. "Why would you give us that?"

Kabuto smiled. "Because I want to. Think of it as a present... as a token of thanks."

Hinata looked at him closely and found no trace of guilt or lie in his eyes or facial expression. "He's telling the truth," she informed Yamato-sensei.

He nodded. "But why would you give it to him? It's not much of a bargaining chip for a wanted traitor from Konoha."

Kabuto spoke slowly and deliberately of Naruto-kun's past and his own image of himself. Hinata found herself _sympathizing_ with the man for the only reason that he compared himself to Naruto-kun. When he finally finished, he took off his cloak and showed off what the strange chakra was doing to his body.

Naruto-kun and Yamato-sensei both gasped at his appearance. Hinata, already having seen his new appearance, spoke up quietly.

"It's already taken over a third of his body."

Yamato-sensei looked at the man with a face of disgust. Naruto-kun grimaced as the man spoke again. "It is taking over my body, but I'm not going to let it without a fight! Haha, I can feel the new me growing!"

"Then do that while you're in Konoha's prison!" yelled Naruto-kun as he ran towards Kabuto. Yamato-sensei also ran towards him and cornered him.

Hinata gasped as Kabuto did the Kawarimi jutsu with a log to avoid getting caught. She quickly ran towards him and knocked him away before he could attack Naruto-kun from behind. The man wiped away a small amount of blood on his lip and grinned. "I will meet you again someday when I gain control over Orochimaru-sama! And then, we will fight, Naruto-kun. But first, I'll kill the man that murdered Orochimaru! Uchiha Sasuke!"

He laughed before disappearing. Hinata's eyes tracked his movements, but she made no move to follow him. "Yamato-sensei. He is not our objective right now."

The man nodded. "You're right, Hinata. Kakashi-senpai's trained you well. Let's go."

Hinata noticed the book he left behind and picked it up before handing it to Naruto-kun. "Here you go, Naruto-kun."

He smiled brightly at her, making her cheeks warm up. "Thanks."

_'My heart's fluttering again...'_

A large explosion rang through out the area, breaking through her thoughts. Hinata looked up, noticed the strong light and quickly turned off her byakugan. It wasn't fast enough though, and she was left seeing the sting of the aftereffects. "Ow," she murmured.

"You ok, Hinata?" asked Naruto-kun.

Hinata smiled at his concern. "I'm fine. The bright light was too strong for my byakugan though, so I'll be seeing after-images for a bit." She closed her eyes. "I'll be fine, though. I've trained to not rely on my eyes too much with Kakashi."

"Excellent, Hinata. Now, let's go check what that explosion was," said Yamato-sensei. Hinata nodded and set off at a fast pace through the trees. _'Focus on the wind around you. Release your chakra from your tenketsu and let it feel the area for you.'  
_

Using this to guide her made her slightly slower than usual, but she was jumping accurately with her chakra reaching out for her. She sped up when she felt familiar chakra signatures approaching where the strange explosion was.

"Everyone is heading towards the explosion," said Hinata.

The two nodded and matched their pace to hers. As they ran, Hinata's sight gradually cleared. She opened them and gasped at what they were approaching. There was a humongous crater in the middle of a large clearing.

The rest of the group had already arrived. "Naruto! You guys saw that too?" asked Sakura-chan.

He nodded. One of the dogs spoke up. "We followed Sasuke's scent here."

"The damage to the area suggests that there was a battle here," murmured Shino-kun.

Hinata activated her byakugan and scanned the surrounding area. "Shino-kun is right. Other craters are located around this area and trees are decimated. I can't spot a single life form, either, except for the nin-dogs and us."

"No life forms?" muttered Naruto-kun.

Kakashi turned to them. "I recognize two of these scents. They're from the Akatsuki. I guess Sasuke took on one of them. Judging from all these craters, it must have been the one called Deidara."

One of the dogs perked up. "Hey! I recognize one of these scents from the village we went to."

Everyone turned to look at him. "I guess Sasuke's formed his own platoon," murmured Kakashi.

"Then we need to follow him, right! Let's go!" yelled Naruto-kun.

"Sorry kid," said Pakkun. "We can't. The scent trail ends here."

"What?!"

"Sasuke either got obliterated in the blast or he used a space/time ninjutsu to leave the area. There's no scent to trail him by," explained Yamato-sensei.

Hinata took this in quietly, already knowing the result. "Found it!" yelled Kiba-kun. _'I knew it,'_ thought Hinata proudly.

"What?" asked Naruto-kun incredulously.

Kiba-kun grinned. "Nowadays, my nose is even better than a nin-dog's! I've got his scent!"

Hinata couldn't suppress the small smile that grew on her lips. Her sharp eyes didn't miss the impressed look on Kakashi's face. _'He tracks primarily through his nose, so he must be impressed by how much Kiba-kun's grown.'_ It felt nice to have her teammate be congratulated for his hard work.

"Alright, then! Let's go!"

* * *

"Tobi... there are a group of Konoha ninja heading towards Sasuke and Itachi's fight," informed the venus-fly trap man.

Tobi rolled his eyes. "Ugh, they're going to try and interrupt? How rude! I'll take care of them for ya!" He left the area quickly.

_'I can't let them interfere with Itachi and Sasuke's match... Especially when I want Sasuke _alive._'_

* * *

_'How is that man dodging their attacks?'_ thought Hinata desperately. The masked Akatsuki member, Tobi, was somehow evading damage, yet all the attacks were hitting him perfectly. Wanting to figure him out, she focused her byakugan even more on the man. She watched as Shino-kun's bugs enveloped the man, slowly draining his chakra.

"He's in there!" she informed. Her eyes saw the progress... then nothing. "What? He disappeared... How?"

Her teammates looked on as the bugs separated, searching for the man. Hinata's sharp eyes caught him. "He's up there!" She pointed at his perch on the tree branch above him as Kiba-kun attacked him from above... only for the man to side-step. Kiba-kun totally missed and hit the ground sharply.

"You idiot, Kiba! Don't go around doing stuff without telling us!" yelled Sakura-chan threateningly.

"Che... He let me go through him again! That son of a-"

"Kiba-kun... He side-stepped you," said Hinata quietly. Kiba-kun looked appropriately embarrassed. She held back the small giggle that threatened to escape. It almost did though, when she caught Kakashi's amused gaze.

Her amusement left her when she saw two chakra signatures appear from the branch._ 'What...? They're in one body...'_

"The fight is over. Itachi lost and he's probably dead," said the strange venus-fly trap man whose face was half-white and half-black. Hinata was shocked to hear it speak again, this time in a slightly lighter and care-free tone. "Yup, but Sasuke just keeled over too. Dunno if he's dead or not!" he chirpily informed Tobi.

"Hey you! Where's Sasuke, you damn houseplant!"

"House plant!?" yelped the white half indignantly.

"Ignore him," muttered the darker side.

Hinata turned her attention to Tobi and gasped at what she saw. "Sharingan?..." she muttered, having finally seen what was behind the mask.

The rest of the group looked at the masked man in shock as he stared back, showing off what was behind his one eyehole. He cheekily waved and said in a deeper and more ominous voice, "I'll play with you kids later."

The venus-fly trap man melted into the branch and disappeared without a trace, while the other man said, "Bye bye!" childishly before jumping through the tree tops.

Kakashi jumped on top of a tree and looked at the direction he had gone. "Hinata! Scout ahead and tell me what you see!"

Hinata nodded and focused her byakugan. Her sight increased dramatically, taking in all the small details. Her eyes caught sight of the devestation of an area and she reported her findings. "There's an area surrounded by very powerful chakra!" She caught sight of familiar black flames and gasped. "There are black flames... most likely due to Uchiha Itachi's strange eye jutsu."

Kakashi nodded. "Let's go, then!"

Naruto-kun jumped onto a tree fiercely. "Move out at top speed you guys!"

Everyone nodded and left the area rapidly. Hinata turned off her byakugan and focused on running, since she couldn't see inside the strange structure that surrounded Sasuke and Itachi anyways. She ran speedily, enjoying the way the wind whipped past her face. _'Ahh, the glory of running during youth!'_

Hinata's thought made her steps falter slightly and she tripped. The group stopped and looked at her funnily.

"What's wrong, Hinata?" asked Kiba-kun.

"You are not usually this clumsy-footed. Are you suffering from exhaustion of any sort?" asked Shino-kun.

Hinata's cheeks burned brightly. "N-no! I'm fine... Let's go!" She ran ahead of them, trying to get away from her embarrassment. She couldn't believe she had let _Naruto-kun _see her _trip_!

Everyone followed her lead, although she could feel some questioning looks on her back. She ignored them and focused on just running dead-sprint. A familiar presence caught up to her and ran alongside her. Hinata avoided looking at him, knowing that he was probably laughing inside, and instead focused her sights on the approaching flames.

_'How are we going to get through?'_

"Yamato!" commanded Kakashi next to her. The man nodded and made a few hand seals, which Hinata recognized as Earth seals.

He slammed his hands into the ground and, miraculously, a way in opened as the burning trees split apart. The group ran in, leaving Yamato-sensei behind to hold up his jutsu.

Hinata felt her heart drop when she realized that there was no one there.

"Damn! We were too late!" yelled Kiba-kun.

Hinata stared at Naruto-kun as he hung his head in self-defeat. There was nothing she could do to help him, but it _hurt._ It hurt to just watch him suffer in pain... alone. Hinata started. _'No! He's not alone!'_

"Naruto-kun," she said quietly. Everyone turned to look at her as she walked up to her long-time crush. "We missed him today, but there's always next time." She ignored how he sent her a disbelieving look, too defeated to even consider the next time. "Next time_, we _will get Sasuke. Together, as a group. Together, as friends."

He was quiet for a second as he mulled over her words. Hinata offered him a small smile and hoped that her words had helped him, if only a little. She was not let down when he raised his head and sent a brilliant smile her way.

"You're right, Hinata! We'll get Sasuke next time!"

Sakura-chan walked up to Naruto-kun and put a hand on his shoulder. "Yeah, next time we'll get Sasuke-kun."

Hinata's smile widened as everyone put in their own words of comfort. As they walked out of the surrounded area, Kakashi casually walked alongside her. She looked at him curiously, but didn't say anything, wondering what he wanted.

"Those were just the right words to say to him."

Hinata smiled softly. "It's because you have always been supporting me that I could say those words."

His eye curved warmly. "That's nice to know."

He sped up and exchanged a few words with Yamato-sensei, leaving Hinata there wondering just what he had meant.

* * *

"Why!? Why did you let him go?!" yelled Naruto. "You know how's he like! Yet you still made him go! He's dead because of YOU!"

Kakashi put a hand on his shoulder. "Naruto, calm down. It's not her fault. She understands what you're going through and-"

"No! It's because of her that he's dead! NO!" With his last yell, he stormed out of the room in a mad fit. Kakashi watched him go sadly, knowing exactly what he was going through. The only difference was that he had had no one to blame nor comfort him when his sensei died.

"I'm sorry, Tsunade-shishou! Naruto's just ups-"

"No, I understand, Sakura. Just give him some time," spoke Tsunade quietly.

Kakashi looked at her solemnly before deciding to head out to relax from his mission... and pay his respects to the great man Jiraiya was. "I'll be going then. Ja!"

* * *

Hinata wandered through the empty and dark streets aimlessly, looking for a nice place to sit. Kurenai-sensei had asked her to get some groceries, but Hinata had seen through her. The shaky smile and the teary eyes was enough to tell Hinata that going home was probably not the best thing to do right now. Plus, it had been a month since Asuma-san had died.

The sweet scent of a popsicle led her to a bench where one person was sitting. The gradual _drip-drop_ of the melting popsicle cleverly hid the sound of someone's shaking tears. Hinata looked at the person sadly. So many people were crying these days...

_'Wait, I know that blonde hair... and this chakra signature...'_

"N-Naruto-kun?" The blonde head snapped up and hastily wiped his face.

"H-hi, Hinata." His voice was hoarse, the kind of hoarse that came from someone who had been crying... sobbing.

Hinata felt her heart go out to him. "What happened Naruto-kun? What's wrong?"

The boy shook his head. "Nothing... nothing really..." He smiled brightly at her, but Hinata saw through it, saw through the mask that she had always seen through.

"It's ok if you don't want to tell me..." Hinata sat down next to him and smiled softly. "But just remember that I'm always here if you need anything."

Naruto-kun was quiet for a second before tears suddenly started rolling down his face. He lifted a hand to his eyes, but made no move to wipe them away. "Thanks, Hinata. Y-you've always been so nice to me." He drew in a shaky breath before speaking again. "Jiraiya... Ero-sennin... He died... fighting the leader of Akatsuki." He breathed in shallowly for a few seconds.

Hinata stared at him in shock. _'Jiraiya-sama? He... he died?'_ Naruto-kun's tears started falling even faster. Hinata didn't know what to do when faced with her crush breaking down in front of her, so she just did what felt _right._

She wrapped her arms around his neck in what she hoped was a comforting hug. "I'm sorry, Naruto-kun... He was a great man, a wonderful shinobi of the Leaf..." Hinata hesitated before adding, "And a great author and a proud super-pervert."

Naruto-kun stiffened and Hinata bit her lip, hoping she hadn't offended him. She relaxed when she heard the sound of Naruto-kun's loud, shaky laughter. They sat there together, Hinata's arms around him, for a few minutes before he nimbly eased himself out from her embrace. He looked at her straight in the eye, and smiled a brilliant smile. This time, Hinata noted, it was genuine.

"Thank you, Hinata."

Hinata smiled back softly. "You're welcome, Naruto-kun."

He threw away the popsicle stick into a nearby trashcan before turning around and looking curiously at her. She sent him a questioning look and he grinned sheepishly.

"You know, Hinata... I used to think you were a dark, weird girl back in our academy days." Hinata's heart dropped. _'He thought I was weird?'_ He continued on, oblivious to her disappointment. "But during our mission to the Wave, you kicked some serious butt and rescued Kakashi-sensei from Zabuza's trap." His eyes lit up as he continued. "And you saved Sasuke's life, knowing that you could've and probably would've died." He looked intensely into her eyes before breaking into a huge grin. "Now I know that you're one of the best friends anyone can ever have!"

Hinata sat there, frozen in shock. _'He thinks I'm a good friend!'_ She was jumping for joy inside, but with it came a depressing thought. _'Does he only think of me as a friend?...'_ She looked up into Naruto-kun's beautiful eyes before smiling back happily. _'It doesn't matter... not now.'_

"Thank you so much, Naruto-kun. You're... you're one of my best friends as well." His grin widened at her words and he rubbed the back of his head thoughtfully. A vague image of Kakashi doing the same thing appeared before her eyes. She blinked and the image disappeared.

"I'm glad to hear that." He looked at the dark sky before speaking up. "Sorry, Hinata, I've got to go now... and apologize to some people... So, I'll see you around!"

He waved before walking in the direction of the Hokage's office. Hinata watched him go with a small smile on her lips. It was only until he had disappeared from out of her normal sight that Hinata noticed that her heart wasn't beating as fast as it usually did when she was around Naruto-kun. She placed her hand over her heart curiously. _'I wonder why...'_ Her eyes lit up. _'Maybe that means that I've finally become comfortable with him!'_ She smiled happily. _'Maybe he'll notice me now...'_

Something rustled in the bushes. Hinata snapped up and threw three kunai in the general direction of the noise. Somebody jumped out before they could hit the target and landed on top of the lamp post with an annoyed look on his face.

_'Ah, the sunglass-wearing man!'_

"I'm very sorry about that!" she apologized. She bowed her head, in hopes of appeasing the man.

The man sighed before jumping down. "No problems, Hinata-san. Anyways, I've just come to drop off the pictures you took that day."

Hinata gasped before smiling. "Thank you, sir!"

The man looked at her before breaking into a smile. "You're very welcome. I made three copies of each and took one for my own... personal collection." He coughed into his hand. "Anyways, here you go."

He handed her a small enelope filled with a large amount of rectangular shapes. Hinata took it gratefully. "Thank you so much. How can I repay you?"

The man shook his head. "Oh, no, Hinata-san! I am a true photographer and seek to capture emotions on the faces of our many ninja! You and Kakashi-san are two of my favorite subjects." He grinned mysteriously. "Besides, I had a great time looking at your pictures. You two have the funniest facial expressions... although I can't really say for Kakashi-san..." Hinata giggled. "Anyways, I'll be going now! Good bye, Hinata-san!"

Hinata waved to him gratefully. She looked at the package in her hands and made up her mind. She sat on the bench and tentatively opened the envelope and grabbed the bundle of pictures.

The first picture was of her feeding Kakashi. Hinata blushed as she looked at it. She looked at it closer and blinked when she noticed that Kakashi was staring at something. She held it up, wondering what he was looking at. '_That's odd...'_ From the way his eyes were tilted downward, it almost looked like he was staring at her... lips. She blushed darkly and shook her head. _'No, no! That's not possible. He was looking at the porridge, the porridge!'_

The next picture made her giggle. It was the one of the both of them looking suspiciously at the camera. Kakashi's face mask had found its way up, and the both of them were holding up the metal pieces in their hands (a spoon and a kunai) threateningly.

She looked at the other pictures, giggling and blushing at the different expressions on their faces, or in Kakashi's case, his eye, before the sound of an owl hooting nearby made her jump. She looked around at the dark and empty parkgrounds and blushed. _'Oh... I stayed out too late.'_

Hinata quickly grabbed all the pictures and placed them back in the envelope before heading home. She looked at her small package with a small smile. _'I can't wait to show these to Kakashi.'_ Hinata briefly wondered how much twenty-two frames were going to cost. _'That's a bit... much. If only I could put them in a small album or something... Oh! That's a great idea!' _

She was going to have to make a stop at the village shops tomorrow.

* * *

Yay, Chapter 16 finished! Sorry if it's not great, I'm trying to rush this one :) You see... I kind of got grounded... well, not really grounded, more like banned from the computers. My parents think that the sites me and my siblings go on have viruses, so it might be awhile until I update again. Ahh... well. Next chapter would've probably been a filler anyways. After that will probably be Pain's invasion and such. Yupp.

Anyways, if I get lucky, I might be able to get on sometimes, but the next update probably won't be this week. If it is, yay, but if it's not, sorry! I really am sorry.

Oh, yeahh... Something horrible is happening to me. I'm moving! It sucks big time. I'll still have internet though, so you guys don't have to worry, hehehe. Anyways, I'd love any and all reviews. I think I'll need it. Aww, well, I hope you guys liked it anyways.


	17. Tea Cups and Shower Curtains

Thank you to all my reviewers. I love you guys! In a totally platonic way, don't worry! :)

But I really want to say thank you to all of you guys that wished me luck and stuff since I'm moving. With your well-wishes, I'm sure that moving won't be that bad. I'm still not looking forward to it, though.

Anyways, I just wrote this chapter today and I haven't gone over it extensively like I usually do. Last chapter, I did the same thing. Gosh, there were so many mistakes in my last chapter since I didn't triple-check like usual. Sorry to all of you who read it. I winced when I did :/ It was painful to read so many mistakes, haha. So I'm going to fix it and repost it. Yupp.

Ahh, well, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

* * *

Birds were chirping happily outside his window. Kakashi groaned and rolled over to look at his alarm clock. He wondered why they had to make so much noise this early in the morn-.

12:00 PM

Ah. It wasn't that early anyways... No wonder.

A soft knocking at his door made Kakashi sit up straight. _'Hinata's here. Hmm... I wonder why...'_

He eased himself up, looked in his mirror, and decided that his hair was always messy anyways, so why bother with it? Kakashi walked to his door with his left eye shut and yawned as he pulled it open.

"Hello, Kakashi."

"Yo."

He looked down and was startled to see Hinata in a casual outfit. By casual, he meant without her usual jacket. By casual, he meant a form-fitting dark purple shirt that went to her elbows and white capris that showed off her shapely legs and her usual pair of sandals. By _casual_, he meant that every article of clothing that she was wearing accentuated her perfectly shaped curves and somehow emitted a softness from her body that wasn't usually there in her normally weightless jacket.

To say Kakashi was shocked was putting it lightly.

He was beyond shocked.

His mouth dropped slightly and his Sharingan eye opened in barely-concealed surprise. And were his cheeks warming up slightly at having her expressive, lavender-tinted eyes on his face with a questioning tilt of her head?

_'No, they are not. My cheeks are just warm from... my mask. Yeah.'_

Kakashi resolutely took this conclusion and imbedded it into his mind, never mind the fact that his eye was now memorizing the way her eyes were somehow upturning in curiosity and amusement.

"Come in," he said roughly, attesting it to just his normal morning voice. He moved out of his doorway and let her in while avoiding her gaze with a fake yawn before shuffling into his room with a murmured, "I'm going to get changed..."

He shut the door behind him softly and ran his hand through his silver hair. _'What came over me?'_ he wondered confusedly.

Not being able to come up with a suitable answer, Kakashi quickly changed out of his sleeping wear and was just about to put on his usual jounin outfit when he remembered Hinata's casual outfit. He tapped his chin before looking around in his drawers for a regular t-shirt and a pair of long pants. He grinned when he pulled out a pair of black pants he hadn't seen in awhile and rummaged through his shirt drawer. All he had were black, turtlenecked shirts. He looked harder and pulled out all his shirts in frustration. His efforts were rewarded when he came across his sleeveless shirt.

Kakashi held it up and stared at it before shrugging and put it on. It fit snugly against his chest and was pretty comfortable. It was only until he looked in the mirror one last time that he realized that it also showed off his ANBU tattoo.

_'Oh.'_

An internal debate warred in his mind before he sighed in defeat. _'She already knows I was in ANBU anyways.'_

He put on his headband lopsidedly and walked out of his room... and was greeted by the sound of eggs frying. His nose twitched before he smiled to himself. It looked like breakfast, or rather, lunch, was going to be made by someone who could actually cook today.

"Oh, Kakashi! Sorry for just intruding upon your kitchen; I just thought that maybe you were hungry and I would make you..." She trailed off when she turned around and saw him. A blush crept up her face, turning her cheeks a healthy pink.

Kakashi grinned underneath his mask at her reaction. It made him feel slightly better about what had occured in his doorway earlier. _'We're just not used to seeing each other in casual outfits, that's all.'_

"It's fine, Hinata," he reassured her, a small smile on his lips. "I'm sure that whatever you make will taste wonderful."

Hinata's blush deepened and she hastily turned around and finished up with the eggs. Kakashi's smile twitched and he had to resist the urge to laugh. He decided to make himself useful and started getting out plates and bowls. Hinata interrupted him when he pulled out two of each.

"I already ate, Kakashi. It's just going to be you."

Kakashi pouted but put away the extra dishes and set the table for one person. Hinata put the eggs in one plate and ladled miso soup into a bowl before turning around and chopped up some vegetables and placing it on another plate. Kakashi looked at the meal with anticipation. He was going to enjoy this, if solely for the fact that it was Hinata that made it.

"Itadakimasu."

He pulled down his mask and dug into the food with glee. It was great, all of it. The meal was simple but having a home-cooked meal was so rare, so _special_ to him. He was a shinobi, a ninja of the Leaf, but he was also a bachelor, a single man that had never really yearned for another presence and lived in quiet solitude.

_'It's funny,'_ he thought as he chewed on a carrot thoughtfully, _'how my life has been so colorful, so vibrant, ever since I met Hinata._'

He blinked as he swallowed the vegetable. He felt Hinata's stare on him and he looked up questioningly.

"Is it good?" she asked hesitantly.

Kakashi smiled. "Your cooking is not _good._ It's better than that. I'm not going to demean your cooking by calling it just good."

Hinata blushed at the praise. A small smile grew on her lips. Kakashi stared at her upturned lips and wondered why it looked so deliciously pink right now. He blinked at his stray thought before hurriedly turning back to his food. It probably wasn't right for an old man like him to be wondering about something like that, especially when the girl was half his age.

Even with this thought, he couldn't help but think about how soft her lips looked when she was thinking. A sudden image of her feeding him with her lips pursed thoughtfully came to mind. He shoved that thought away and concentrated on his earlier realization.

_'Before I met Hinata, life was boring.'_ It was true. Mission after mission had come to him even after he'd quit ANBU. He'd fulfilled them all successfully and perfectly. Then he'd been given a simple C-rank mission to guard the Hyuuga Heiress. At the time, it had been an annoying occurence. Why did he, an elite jounin, have to guard a six-year old girl? The Sandaime had just smiled and told him that he had been especially requested for this mission. Kakashi had acquiesced and had taken the mission without another word.

_'That was probably the smartest decision I ever made,'_ he thought with a smile.

Because of that mission he had met Hinata. Meeting Hinata that day in the woods had allowed him to find his late sensei's son. Meeting Hinata that day at the memorial stone had allowed him to train her and unlock all the potential she had. Meeting Hinata for all those training sessions had let a budding friendship grow into the comfortable closeness they now shared.

_'It's nice,' _he thought, _'having someone back in Konoha who'll worry about you and hope for your safe return.'_

For so many years, he'd just had an empty apartment to return to after all the long and grueling missions. He had thought that this was how his life was going to end, him dying with one injury too many during a particularly difficult mission and having no one worry about him at all. But now, however, he had a reason to return. If he died, Hinata would cry. He wouldn't let her cry over someone as useless as him, so he would return home. He could be bleeding, he could be poisoned, he could have his limbs cut off, but he would return home, back to the village and back to Hinata.

"Kakashi?"

Kakashi looked up. "Yeah?"

Hinata smiled. "You finished your food awhile back and you were just sitting there..."

He grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, I was just lost in my thoughts."

"Oh." Hinata looked at him with bright eyes. "Ok. Anyways, I'll wash the dishes since you're done."

Kakashi looked at her in alarm. "Oh, no. You made the food, I'll do the dishes. Thank you for the meal, by the way."

Hinata laughed. "Alright, Kakashi. I'll go to the bathroom then."

"Mm-hmm," he murmured.

Kakashi absently set to work on the dishes, washing and rinsing and drying them. His thoughts were on a different subject entirely, though. _'I wonder _why_ Hinata affects me this much... Not that I'm complainng or anything, but still...'_ The sound of water running in his bathroom interrupted his thoughts, making him look up. He heard Hinata quietly humming and smiled. _'She is so beautiful in every way possible.'_

His sudden thought made him loosen his grip on the glass cup he was holding. He was still reeling from all the implications his thought had and didn't have enough time to catch it. It fell into the sink at an angle and broke. Loudly.

"Damn."

* * *

Hinata walked into the bathroom. And stared.

_'What... strange... curtains.'_

Kakashi's shower curtain had large duck prints all over it in varying colors of neon orange, neon pink, and bright yellow, some with all three colors. They were all standing in different angles against a startling familiar green background. They were also all wearing scuba gear, for some odd reason. The words, "For My Glorious Rival; From GAI" were written in an elaborate script in a disturbing orange color that strangely reminded Hinata of his and Lee-kun's legwarmers. From the furious scrubbing in the area around it, it was also written in an extra-permanent marker.

Hinata shook her head in amusement and turned her attention to the sink. It was clean with very few objects. Just a toothbrush, a comb, a small razor and a bottle of soap was there. She smiled at how tidy Kakashi was and started washing her hands. She absently started humming an old children's song that had something to do with ducks. She was just done drying her hands when she heard a loud sound.

_Crash!_

The sound of glass shattering had Hinata out of the bathroom in a flash. She ran to the kitchen and inspected the area. Nothing was out of place. There was only Kakashi rubbing the back of his head and looking at her sheepishly.

"What happened?" she asked when she couldn't find any damage to anything.

Kakashi's eye curved. "Haha... A cup... kind of slipped."

Hinata's lips twitched. "Ok. Where?"

He pointed inside the sink before rummaging through his cabinets. Hinata walked up to the sink and looked at the cup that would never hold liquids again. Hinata shook her head amusedly and helped Kakashi with his search.

They finally found a small trash bag in one of the cabinets. Kakashi carefully picked up the pieces and placed them inside the bag and threw it away. He then turned back to the sink and searched for the last remaining pair of chopsticks before he suddenly flinched.

"What's wrong?" asked Hinata worriedly.

Kakashi held up his right hand and stared at it. In his index finger, there was a small piece of glass sticking in it. He pulled it out. And blinked when blood started flowing out.

Hinata gasped and grabbed it. She ignored Kakashi's questioning look and dragged him with her to her small backpack that she had left in his living room. She opened it and looked for the first-aid kit she always carried with her.

"It's just a small cut, Hinata. I doubt that it will infect."

She ignored that too and cleaned it off with a small tissue before applying a thin layer of her medicinal cream to the cut. She wrapped it in a blue band-aid and grinned.

"There, all done."

Hinata looked at Kakashi with an expectant look. He stared at her for a few seconds before sighing. "Thank you, Hinata, for your quick and efficient wrapping. Without it, I am sure that I would have died from the infection that would have surely inflamed my fi-"

"You're welcome, Kakashi, but that wasn't what I was looking for." She smiled and held up her newly-made cream. "Is your finger tingling? If it is, that means my cream is working."

She watched as Kakashi stood still for a second or two before nodding. "Yes, my finger is tingling."

Hinata's smile brightened. "I'm glad. That means that the skin is already healing and the bacteria inside are all being disinfected."

She put her first-aid kit back in her backpack. Her eyes caught the corner of her newly-purchased photo album, and she pulled it out before handing it to Kakashi. He raised his eyebrow before gingerly taking it. Hinata smiled in anticipation as he used his left hand to open the album.

She wasn't disappointed when Kakashi inhaled sharply when he saw the first picture. It was the one of her feeding him. Above it, she had written the words, "Happy 30th Birthday, Kakashi!"

Her silver-haired friend flipped through the other pages before turning to her with a smile in his eye.

"Thank you, Hinata."

Hinata's heart leaped and probably did a few cartwheels at the sincerity in his voice, at the raw emotion that had leaked through the usual calm tone of his voice.

"Really, thank you, Hinata. This is probably the best present I've ever gotten." His eye curved gently and his rough, calloused hands ruffled her hair in a teasing way, in a comfortable kind of way.

She blushed at his touch, suddenly aware of the way his hand was warm against her head as he messed up her hair and the way his strong, lean muscles were taut as his arm stretched to place the album on his table.

For a second... it was just him and her in this world, sitting on the sofa with only a few inches between them. For a brief, very brief, second, she wondered what it would be like to be hugged by Kakashi in a loving embrace and be held securely between his arms and pressed against his hard chest with his unmasked chin on her head. Her cheeks flared as her thoughts ran away with that image and produced more embarrassing images. The way his lips moved when he said her name... the way his two eyes crinkled in amusement... the way his voice would deepen when he was comforting her...

Hinata looked up in embarrassment. And was mesmerized by the dark, charcoal eye of Kakashi. He stared intensely at her and smiled when her cheeks involuntarily darkened. She inwardly cursed her blood flow.

Her heart was beating too fast now, too rapidly to slow down any time soon, and it was just from meeting Kakashi's eye. Hinata inhaled shakily and blurted out, "Dishes!"

Kakashi blinked and she looked away from his eye in relief. She didn't think her heart could take it anymore.

"Dishes?" he asked in a wondering tone.

Hinata blushed. "Y-yeah, the dishes. We didn't finish them, you know? I'll go do them, since your finger's injured."

She hastily stood up and made her way to the kitchen and inwardly congratulated herself. _'Good job, Hinata. That was great.'_

Hinata rinsed off the last few cups and dried them. She looked at the cabinets and bit her lip. _'Now where do these go?'_

She randomly looked through the many cabinets before finally the cup cabinet. She stood on her toes to place the two cups on the top drawer and exhaled in relief when they were securely in their place. She was just about to close the cabinet door when a startling sight caught her eyes.

On the second drawer, way in the back, sat four pristine, elegant tea cups. They werent just any teacups, they were the ones that she had seen in the display window that day before Kakashi's birthday. The way the sakura blossoms fell so gracefully against the white of the china and the thin branches of the trees it fell off of were so heart-breakingly beautiful and just as she remembered it.

Not being able to help herself, Hinata tentatively reached a hand out to grab the platter it sat on. She placed them on the counter gently and stood there for a minute, just marveling at how beautiful they were. She picked one up and slid her finger on it, memorizing the way it felt so smooth against her hand.

"Ah, so you found them."

Kakashi's low voice with the smallest hint of amusement in it shook Hinata out of her daze and she almost jumped, but she immediately calmed herself and smiled wistfully.

"Yes, I did." She hurriedly placed it back on the platter and reached to place them back in the cabinet. "I'm sorry for going through your things. It's yours and-"

"It's yours, actually."

Hinata was quiet as she registered Kakashi's surprising words. "What?" she finally managed to breath out.

Kakashi's eye curved. "I got them for you since you were obviously in love with them."

Hinata stammered. "W-what? H-how did you? No, why d-did you-?"

"You liked them. I thought I might as well get them for you."

Hinata stared at him, at his dark, mesmerizing eye. He smiled underneath his mask and opened his bottom cabinet and pulled out a small box.

"Here, you can put them in here, that way they won't break."

He opened it and pulled out thick papers and wrapped the tea cups in them and placed them into the box carefully. Hinata watched him, not too sure if she could form words at the moment. A sudden thought came to her.

"Th-they were so expensive, Kakashi! You shouldn't have bought them. They were... they were..."

Kakashi placed his hand on her head in a comforting way. "Don't worry, Hinata. I'm a jounin. I risk my life completing S-Rank missions and such. I get paid rather decently when I complete them successfully." He grinned. "Besides, I don't have anything else to spend my money on, besides new Icha Icha merchandise."

Hinata blushed before she started to laugh softly. She turned to look at the box and trailed her fingers down the side of it. Warmth and gratefulness flooded her. She didn't know why, but she just had to, she _just had to,_ convey her gratefulness to him, this man that was so kind to her.

So, timidly, and hesitantly, she turned to him and walked up slowly to him. She wrapped her ams around Kakashi's torso and pressed her left cheek gently against his chest. She closed her eyes and tried not to think about how she was right and his chest really was hard, in a muscular kind of way. Her cheeks started to warm up when she realized that he had his hands on her shoulders loosely. It didn't matter that he didn't hug her back, all that mattered was that he had let her this close to him. Kakashi was a private man and didn't allow many to get close to him. She always felt kind of honored to be allowed to call him friend.

"Thank you, Kakashi," she murmured. "Thank you for being my friend. Thank you for always being there for me. Thank you."

She didn't know why, but she suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to cry. She held it in, although a few tears did escape her eyes and trailed down her cheek slowly.

"You're crying," pointed out Kakashi quietly.

Hinata nodded her head. "Yes, I am. You're such a good friend and... and... I'll never be able to be as good a friend as you are."

Kakashi was quiet for a few seconds before he spoke up again. "You're the closest friend I've had since... since Obito died."

Hinata stood there, her arms wrapped around Kakashi, her face pressed against his chest, her face flaming with how close they were, too shocked to say a word.

_'I'm... so glad...'_ thought Hinata happily. He regarded her as a friend too! She was so happy, she thought she might burst.

She pulled back after a few moments and smiled up happily at him. His eye smiled back and Hinata felt her heart skip a few beats.

"I should go now," she said quietly.

Kakashi nodded. "Alright then. Have a safe trip back." He picked up the box and handed it to her. "Here you go."

Hinata smiled. "Thank you."

* * *

Kakashi told himself that he was not paying attention to Hinata's chakra signature as she walked farther and farther away from his apartment. He adamantly told himself that he was _not_ flipping through the photo album to look at Hinata's many facial expressions. And he told himself that he was most certainly _not_ thinking about how having her lithe, yet soft body pressed against his had made him feel a bit warmer inside.

He looked at his hand that had a cut in his index finger wonderingly. It was tingling again, but it wasn't from the medicine. A distinct image of him ruffling Hinata's soft hair and him placing it gingerly on her shoulder came to mind.

Kakashi couldn't find the will power to tell himself that it was not from doing any of those things, because it was true. Everything was.

He couldn't feel Hinata's chakra signature anymore, he was currently staring at the way Hinata had laughed when he'd told her a funny joke just so he could take a picture of her, and his body still felt the warmth from her body when she'd so boldly hugged him.

_'This is bad, real bad.'_ Kakashi shut the photo album gently and put it back on his table before leaning back into his sofa. _'I shouldn't be thinking about her like this. It's just that... the way she smiles, the way she laughs, the way she cares so unconditionally...'_ He slapped his forehead. He was doing it again. _'It'll pass. It has to.'_

* * *

"I could really go for some tea right now," grumbled Kurenai-sensei quietly.

Hinata giggled silently to herself at her teacher's increasingly random mood swings and cravings.

"I'll get you some," said Hinata, a small hint of a smile on her lips.

She was just about to grab the old cup they had been using, since the other one had broken awhile back, when Hinata remembered her gift from Kakashi.

"Wait, I'll be right back."

She ran to her room and grabbed the box Kakashi had given her before walking back to the kitchen carefully, not wanting to break her new gift. She took two cups out and placed them on the counter gingerly. Kurenai-sensei gasped in surprise.

"Those are beautiful, Hinata," she said in a shocked voice.

Hinata smiled at her sensei. "Yes, they are..."

She rinsed the cups and poured the hot tea into it and handed one cup to Kurenai-sensei. Her teacher took it and stared at it for awhile as she waited for her tea to cool down for a bit. Hinata observed her happily. _'Thank you, Kakashi.'_

Kurenai-sensei took a sip and sighed in satisfaction. "The tea tastes so much better in these cups, don't you think, Hinata?"

Hinata quickly took a sip and decided she had to agree. "You're right, Kurenai-sensei."

Her teacher eyed her carefully before casually speaking up. "You were rather happy when you came in earlier... Does it have anything to do with these cups?"

Hinata blushed, feeling a strange warmth pool in her chest. It wasn't from the tea. Rather, it was from a certain silver-haired jounin...

"Y-yes, I guess that's true." She coughed when she took a huge sip. It burned on the way down her throat.

Her teacher chuckled. "I'm guessing these were a gift. I'm not too sure about who, though..." She trailed off and looked at her expectantly. "Would you care to tell me who?"

Hinata knew her cheeks were darkening rapidly, but she couldn't do anything about it.

"It was Kakashi."

A strange, slightly muffled guffaw came from her sensei. Hinata looked at her oddly, wondering if this is what pregnancy does to grown, adult women.

Her teacher calmed down, although she was shaking slightly, probably from withheld laughter.

"I knew it," she said smugly.

"W-what?" asked Hinata curiously.

Kurenai-sensei smiled. "I knew that you two were closer than teacher and student. Probably closer than friends too." Hinata's blush that had receded came back and warmed her cheeks. Her sensei chuckled at her reaction. "Asuma and I had a bet. He thought you two were just teacher and student and would stay so, but I knew better. And I won," she said softly as memories of her beloved fiance came back to her.

Hinata looked at her, torn between wanting to comfort her and running into her room to hide the furious blush that had colored her cheeks. Thankfully, her teacher managed to get a hold on herself. She looked at Hinata with a sly gleam in her eye.

"So, are you two..." she said vaguely.

Hinata shook her head. "N-no! We're just friends, friends!" Hinata felt a smile grow on her lips. "Best friends. Close friends." Her eyes softened as she remembered the way he had told her she was the closest friend he'd had since Obito-san died.

"And you're sure about that?" came the soft tone of her sensei.

Hinata nodded. "Of course. W-why would we be anything more? Don't you think it'd be a bit strange?"

She watched as Kurenai-sensei blushed. "It's just... I think you two... are closer than you think." Her teacher stood up abruptly and left the room with her hand covering her red cheeks.

Hinata watched her go in confusion. _'What... just happened?'_

* * *

Feelings are starting to show! So how do you guys think I did? That hug scene was horrible to me, I don't know why... It was very... _happy_. Ah, well.

I was planning on doing Pain's invasion next chapter, but I think I'll develop their relationship a bit more next chapter. I hope I get a chance to work on it soon, since I'm using my dad's laptop behind his back nowadays, heheh...

Anyways, I'd love any and all reviews! :)


	18. Cracked Glass

**To Everyone Who Reviewed** (since I'm too lazy to do it by name): THANK YOU! Your praise and encouraging words really help get through everything. Reading a review always makes me so happy :) You guys are amazing! With one word of praise, or one paragraph of what you loved, you guys give me the will to continue on! Hahah. ;P

Really, seriously, I love you guys.

Alrighty then, next chapter UP!

What to Expect: some suggestive language from Genma, but that's about it.

Hope you guys enjoy!

* * *

Hinata stared at the tall book case. She pursed her lips thoughtfully as she wondered just how she would get up there. _'I could... jump...'_ Her mind made up, she bent her knees and lightly leaped up. Her fingers barely brushed the spine of the book before gravity took her back down. _'Darn it.'_

She jumped again and this time managed to grab it. She landed on the ground on the balls of her feet with a satisfied grin.

The sound of loud clapping came from behind her.

Hinata turned around and blushed when she saw who it was.

"That was most impressive, Weirdo."

Hinata's blush darkened at her nickname. "Arigatou..." she muttered.

"Honestly, I never would have just jumped to get that book. A painting of a monkey would have sufficed just fine," said Sai-san with a smile plastered on his face, his eyes shut.

She frowned at his obviously fake smile, but realized that this was Sai-san and that he was a bit... strange. "A painting?" she decided to ask.

Sai-san's eyes opened and he nodded. "Yes, I am a painter and use it in my ninjutsu. My paintings come to life."

Hinata gasped. "That's amazing, Sai-san!"

"Thank you, Weirdo."

An awkward silence followed after that, Hinata not really knowing how to respond to his strange nickname for her. Curiosity overcame her, though, so she decided to ask him. "Why do you call me Weirdo, Sai-san?"

Sai-san's eyes widened. "Oh, I am sorry if that offends you, Weirdo, I mean-"

"It's fine, Sai-san," she said with a small smile.

"Oh, that's good." Sai-san's fake smile came back. "I use nicknames as a way to make closer friends. Hag told me that basing nicknames on characteristics is a good start. You are strange to me, so I call you Weirdo."

Hinata blinked at his strange explanation but nodded slowly. "That makes sense, Sai-san..." A sudden thought occurred to her. "Ano, who is Hag?"

"That's me."

Hinata looked behind Sai-san and was surprised to see Sakura-chan. "E-eh? Sakura-chan is... Hag?"

Sakura-chan smiled ruefully. "Yeah, although I keep telling this idiot to stop calling me that. Anyways, how are you Hinata?" Her eyes strayed to the book in Hinata's hands. "Oh! Is that a medical cream book?"

"Yes, it is."

Sakura-chan smiled. "Wow, you're working on making medical creams? Those really come in handy when medical-nins run out of chakra!"

"Actually, Sakura-chan, I've already made a few. Just the other day, I used my newest batch on Kakashi. It worked exactly as I wanted it to." Hinata smiled, remembering her silver-haired friend.

Sakura-chan's amazed eyes on her made Hinata's cheeks darken. "Y-yes?"

The pink-haired girl just shook her head. "That's amazing, Hinata. You have to have an extensive knowledge of plants and their properties to even make it work half-way. I'd love to get some..."

Hinata smiled. "I have some at home, Sakura-chan. Would you like to come with me to get some?"

The girl nodded. "Yeah! Thanks, Hinata!"

Hinata giggled. Sakura-chan's enthusiasm reminded her of Naruto-kun's for some reason.

"Goodbye, Sai-san." She waved to the boy happily. He nodded back.

The way back to Kurenai-sensei's apartment was pleasant as Sakura-chan chattered about the going-ons at the hospital and such. Hinata nodded every now and then and giggled whenever a particularly funny tale came up. They reached the apartment quickly and Hinata immediately thought of tea and Kurenai-sensei's strange reaction yesterday. She shrugged when she remembered that her sensei had to teach at the Academy today.

Hinata led the way to her room and let Sakura-chan in.

"Wow, Hinata! Your room is so clean." Sakura-chan's eyes sparkled as they took in her tidy room. Hinata blushed.

"Thank you."

"You should see Naruto's room. God, it's disgusting."

Hinata felt her heart drop a little. _'She's been in his room...?'_

"W-would you like some tea?" she asked quietly.

"Oh, no thank you. Tsunade-shishou asked me to come in later."

"Oh, ok." Hinata looked around her room, wondering just where she had put her new medical cream.

"Aww, is this your team picture?"

Hinata looked over curiously. Sakura-chan was looking at her many pictures. The one she held in her hand was Team Kurenai's first picture.

"Yes, that's our team."

Sakura-chan smiled. "Gosh, Akamaru was so cute and small back then!" She laughed before placing it back on the table. Hinata nodded and searched in her closet. She knew she had put it there somewhere...

"Is this... you and Kakashi-sensei!?"

Hinata snapped up. Her head met painfully with the shelf she had been rummaging under. She saw stars but shook them away. Her eyes saw the small case of medical cream and she grabbed it before heading out of the closet.

"Hmm?" she absently murmured as she walked towards Sakura-chan.

She blushed when she realized that the medic-nin was looking at the picture of her and Kakashi eating dango.

"Yes, that's us. We were taking a break from training..." She trailed off when she saw the pout in Kakashi's eye. _'Really, he can be such a child sometimes,'_ she thought fondly.

"You two... eat together?" asked Sakura-chan in a hushed whisper. Hinata looked at her oddly.

"Umm, yes..."

Sakura-chan's hair whipped as she sharply turned to look at Hinata in the eyes, her emerald ones wide.

"And... and... he pays for the meals?!"

Hinata nodded. "Yes... We take turns." She was alarmed to see the glass of her picture frame crack. "Ano... Sakura-chan? I think you're gripping it too hard..."

Her friend shook her head and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, Hinata. I was just a bit shocked. Kakashi-sensei has never treated our team at all!" Sakura-chan pouted, making Hinata giggle.

"Really?" she said with barely concealed amusement. That sounded like something Kakashi would do.

"Yeah!" Sakura-chan placed the picture frame back on the table before looking at Hinata with a strange gleam in her eyes. "So... you two eat out together a lot?" she asked in a nonchalant tone.

Hinata nodded and ignored the suspicious feeling that was starting to form. "Oh, but sometimes I cook for him when he's been on long missions," she added quietly.

She took a cautious step back when Sakura-chan's eyes bugged out and started fearing for her furniture. Sakura-chan had a tendency to break things when she got overexcited.

"Y-you mean..." Sakura-chan took a deep breath. "You mean, like, at his apartment?"

Hinata nodded again, not quite sure where this was going. "Yes..." She gasped when she looked at the girl. "Are you alright, Sakura-chan!?"

Sakura-chan was practically hyperventilating. Her breaths were coming in shortly and fast. Hinata walked towards her worriedly but was stopped with a hand from Sakura-chan.

"I'm fine, Hinata. I'm just... surprised. I've never been to Kakashi's apartment. Heck, I don't even know where lives, Hinata! And... and you've been there? And you cook for him? And... and..." Sakura-chan looked up and stared directly into Hinata's eyes. Hinata met her gaze, wondering just what she was going to say. "I remember that time when Sai asked if you and Kakashi are lovers." Hinata blushed, now having an inkling of what was going on inside Sakura-chan's mind. "Do... do you love each other?"

Hinata's cheeks were on fire, she knew it. She raised her cold hands to her cheeks and covered them embarrassedly.

"I... W-we're not... No, we d-don't love each other... not like that!" she managed to stutter out.

The pink-haired girl stared at her. "Not like that...? So you _do_ love him!"

"NO!" Hinata blushed at her outburst. "I mean, yes... As my friend..." Thinking of Kakashi brought a small smile to her lips, much as she tried to conceal it.

"Friend, huh?" The teasing tone in Sakura-chan's voice made Hinata look away, too embarrassed to meet her friend's eyes. "Are you sure about that?"

"Yes!"

"Right." Hinata looked up when she heard the loud laughter of Sakura-chan. Her friend was practically rolling on the floor laughing. Hinata pouted, knowing that she was being laughed at. "Sorry, Hinata, you're just too much fun to tease." Sakura-chan's bright green eyes were smiling brightly at her. Hinata smiled back, her blush receding. "I know you two are just close like that."

A sly look crossed Sakura-chan's face and Hinata looked at her warily. "Besides, I already know that you like Naruto..." Hinata's blush returned, coloring her cheeks a dark red. "I was supposed to meet him before I went to see Tsunade-shishou. Do you want to come?"

Hinata knew that it was probably wrong to want to go so bad, but she just couldn't say no.

"Sure."

* * *

Kakashi walked through the streets aimlessly with his nose in his book. It hurt to read Jiraiya's words, knowing that the man would write no more, but he would honor the Toad Sannin and read all of his great literature. It helped that he was already hopelessly addicted to them.

He jumped off the roof and landed outside his window. He opened it and enjoyed the pleasant whoosh of cold air that blasted his warm cheeks. Konoha was unexpectedly warm these fall days. _'It's getting quite close to Hinata's sixteenth birthday, isn't it?'_ he wondered thoughtfully.

Kakashi eyed his inviting bed and ran a hand through his hair contemplatively. He shrugged and took off his vest and sandals and headband before settling into the snug covers.

"I'm exhausted," he muttered, before shutting his eyes and welcoming the blissful darkness.

Five minutes had barely passed when a sharp knocking at his door made his eyes snap open. Kakashi groaned quietly and shut his eyes, hoping to any Gods out there that this annoying person would go away. He cracked his eye opened when he briefly wondered if it was Hinata. The sharp rapping at the door quickly dismissed that thought; Hinata was always quiet in everything she did and very polite. She wouldn't knock so annoyingly.

The knocking at the door got louder. Kakashi entertained the thought of just letting the person knock until the hinges fell off, but shook it away when he realized that Hinata would ask him just _how_ that had happened.

So, with an exasperated sigh, Kakashi shuffled to the door and opened it roughly.

The sight of a senbon-chewing, brown-haired prick greeted him.

"Yes, Genma?" said Kakashi, thoroughly annoyed at having his rest interrupted.

Genma appraised the absence of his usual headband and vest with dark eyes and grinned, rolling his senbon side-to-side unconsciously. "Yo."

Kakashi promptly shut the door in his face and turned on his heel, heading to the kitchen to grab a cup of water. The sound of laughter outside his door erupted before his door was opened and closed with a loud 'bang!'. The laughter just got louder, much to Kakashi's annoyance.

"God, Kakashi, what's got you in such a sour mood?" asked Genma as he sauntered into the kitchen.

Kakashi turned to look at him with a neatly-concealed twitch of his eye. "Nothing," he said shortly. "What are you doing here?"

Genma grinned and leaned against one of his counter tops lazily. Kakashi eyed him suspiciously, wondering just why in the world Shiranui Genma was in his kitchen, acting like he owned the place.

"Nothing much," drawled the senbon-chewing tokubetsu jounin. "Just thought I'd pay a little visit to my good friend, Hatake Kakashi, that's all."

Kakashi blinked. "Since when did we become 'good friends'?"

Mock hurt flashed across Genma's face as he put his hand over his heart. "I can't believe it!" he moaned. "Me and you... sharing all those meals... going camping together... relaxing in hot springs together...! How could you not have known we were the best of friends!?"

Kakashi raised a slender eyebrow. "You mean during those missions we had together? Camping and sharing meals are all part of normal missions. You are my comrade, yes, but honestly, you spend most of our missions talking to Raidou. Or don't you remember?"

The man grinned, this time with a sheepish look. "Yeah, yeah." His look sobered and he turned to Kakashi with a serious look in his face. "Look, Kakashi. I know we don't know each other that well and everything, but..." Genma trailed off and looked away. His gaze stopped on something behind Kakashi and his eyes lit up.

He ran past Kakashi with a gleeful look on his face. Kakashi whipped around, wondering just what had caught Genma's attention. His heart skipped a few beats rather painfully when he caught sight of the thing in Genma's hands. It was the apron that Hinata always wore when she cooked at his apartment.

"I didn't know you cooked. And wore pretty aprons like this one while you did," said Genma, a small smirk tugging at his lips.

The apron was a pale purple that had colorful flowers along the bottom. Hinata had brought it over that day when she had surprised him with a nice meal after he'd returned from a long mission. Kakashi's cheeks warmed up slightly before he quickly snatched it out of the smug tokubetsu jounin's hands.

Genma cradled his hands as if he had been burned, although the knowing smirk on his lips grew tenfold.

"It's that Hyuuga girl's, isn't it?"

Kakashi didn't answer him, too busy storing the apron into one of his empty drawers. He was pretty sure that his silence was as good of an answer as a "Yes," though.

"I didn't know you two were so close," said Genma lightly. Kakashi turned to him and narrowed his eyes when he saw Genma sniffing the air, a curious look on his face. "Your apartment smells like lilacs, you know that?"

Kakashi ground his teeth, remembering that Hinata had made a visit to his apartment yesterday. Of course, her scent would be all over the place.

"So, what, Kakashi? Are you bedding that Hyuuga girl or something? That's a bit messed up, don't you think? She's like, what? Fifteen? Sixteen?"

"Fifteen." Kakashi opened his Sharingan eye and glared at Genma. "And, no, I am not involved with Hinata that way. She is my former student. We are just... close."

He had paused just a second too long, he knew that. Genma knew that too, judging from the suggestive grin on his lips. It was just that... he wasn't quite sure what they were. Too close to be just teacher and student, but not quite lovers. They were in-between, good friends, close friends... best friends.

Kakashi was hesitant to call Hinata a best friend. His only best friend had died to save his life. He didn't want Hinata to ever do that for him. Ever. Kakashi knew, however, that he would give his life for Hinata in a heartbeat. He wouldn't let her lose her brilliant smile or her tickling laugh if he could help it.

"That's what you say," said Genma loudly, breaking Kakashi out of his thoughts. He turned to look at the talking man confusedly. "But I think you're wrong."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

Genma looked at him seriously, all traces of amusement and smugness gone. "I came over here to talk to you. About how you're different. I thought it would be easier to approach you here... rather than at the memorial stone." A pained look crossed Genma's face, but it disappeared quickly. Kakashi knew that he wasn't the only that had lost loved ones; Genma had lost many friends and comrades during missions as well.

"I thought that it was due to Asuma's and Jiraiya's deaths... but then I noticed that you changed for the better." It was quiet, except for the soft sound of Genma gnawing on his senbon for a little bit before Genma spoke up again. "When you're with that Hyuuga girl, you're different. I just want to say that... I'm glad."

Kakashi rubbed the back of his head, still a bit confused. "Thanks, but... why?"

Genma's serious mood disappeared as he grinned stupidly. "You could be our future Hokage. I don't want you to be some dreary and depressed nut now, do I?" He waved his hand airily. "And I told you, we're friends. Even if you don't think so, I consider you as one. Raidou and Hayate, too, in case you haven't noticed." He paused before slyly adding, "And Gai, even if you don't want to admit it."

Kakashi smiled. _'Friends, huh? That's nice.'_

"So, you know, we're all telling you to go for it, Kakashi. Go and win her heart and... stuff."

Kakashi's happy mood dissipated with Genma's awkward words.

"What?" he asked incredulously as he openly gaped at Genma.

Genma scratched the side of his cheek sheepishly. "Well, the others forced me to come here to tell you... that... umm..." His senbon rolled nervously back and forth as he tried to find words. Kakashi stared at him, a suspicious feeling planting itself in the back of his mind. "We won't condemn you, Kakashi."

"For what?" he asked, not believing his ears. They couldn't possibly be implying...?

"For loving her, that Hinata girl."

Two feelings simultaneously flushed Kakashi's body. Disbelief and embarrassment. He wasn't quite sure _why _he was embarrassed right now, but with the ways his cheeks were burning holes in his mask, there was no way to deny that he was.

"_W-what?_" he stammered out.

Genma smiled knowingly at him. Kakashi felt the largest urge to knock it off of his face.

"Look, Kakashi. You're not fooling anybody. Well, maybe yourself and that oblivious Hinata girl, but honestly. You. Love. Her." Genma's voice was matter-of-factly spouting this, with the slightest hint of amusement in it.

"I don't!" Kakashi was getting riled, he knew that, but he had to defend himself from this senbon-chewing idiot's nonsense. "Hinata and I are friends, comrades, equals. Why would I love her like that? Don't you think that's strange?"

He stared as the brown-haired tokubetsu jounin's lips twitched, clearly fighting a losing battle. So, it was with an amused smile that Genma replied back. "It doesn't matter. We're _shinobi_. Every mission we take can be our last. As shinobi, we have to take everything we can get and enjoy it. You've obviously got Hinata, so take her. No one will give a shit, although that Hyuuga jounin, Neji, will probably give you some trouble. Oh, and her team. Oh, and probably her clan will say st-"

"You're not serious, are you? She's _fifteen_, Genma. _Fifteen._" Kakashi ground his teeth, biting back the slight anger he was feeling. "I do not love Hinata. It's immoral of me to even look at her that way, and-"

"Oh, but you do, don't you?" Kakashi's eyes narrowed dangerously. Genma put his hands up defensively, a slight grin on his lips. "I'm sure you've noticed her... developing body. Half the male population of Konoha have." Kakashi had to stop himself from growling, although his fists did clench rather painfully around his glass cup. It cracked slightly before he relaxed his grip and placed it on the counter. He knew Genma was smirking even if he wasn't looking at the idiot. "And she won't be fifteen forever. You know her, Kakashi. Better than anyone else, I bet. Well, there is Kurenai, but-"

"Kurenai won't approve," said Kakashi, feeling a bit smug. He had grasped onto a lifeline. If Kurenai didn't approve, there was no way he could be forced to admit anything.

To his dismay, however, Genma's smirk deepened. "She was the one that approached Raidou and me about talking to you. I lost at janken so I had to do the honors of forc-, erm, persuading you to come to terms with yourself."

Kakashi felt his heart drop. He had practically admitted to something he still wasn't sure about with his stupid words. Lifeline? Oh, how wrong he'd been.

"Kurenai really wants you two to admit it to yourselves. As soon as possible too. Ever since Asuma's died and she's been pregnant, she's all about getting people together. Heck, I heard that Shizune's been hanging out with _Gai _a lot these days." Genma paused, most likely letting that image sink in. The uptight Hokage's apprentice with Gai? Kakashi withheld the shiver that threatened to shake his body. "And she's right. I already told you, shinobi don't have forever to wallow around in friendships that are obviously meant to be more. So, go for it, Kakashi."

It was quiet as Kakashi took in Genma's words. They all made sense, but still... the whole thing was messed up, from their ages to their "supposed" feelings. There were none, none at all.

His head started pounding painfully from his intense thoughts. He sighed. "Whatever." He was too exhausted to handle with stupid things like love and feelings at the moment. "Get out of my apartment."

Genma pouted. "Aww, and I thought we were friends! Come on, Kakashiiii!"

Kakashi sent a pointed glare at Genma. When that didn't work, he sent a pointed kunai at him.

His apartment was quickly vacated, leaving him alone to bask in the empty and comfortable-ness of his apartment.

He walked back to his room and got into his bed, now sporting a huge headache. He was exhausted beyond belief and really just wanted to take a well-deserved nap, but Genma's words kept echoing in his head.

_"I'm sure you've noticed her... developing body."_

How hadn't he? She was beautiful, too much so sometimes. He was always relieved that she opted to wear her sweater rather than the showy clothes most kunoichi wore. _'If she ever wore what Asuma's student, Ino, wore then she would earn a lot of unwanted attention from... the male species.'_ A brief image of Hinata wearing such little clothing came to mind. He quickly shoved that thought away.

_"You. Love. Her."_

He didn't love Hinata like that. Not at all. No.

_'Are you sure?'_ asked a traitorous voice in his head.

Kakashi shook his head and tried to rid his mind of any thoughts of love for Hinata. Random images came to him... her smiling... her laughing... her crying... her blushing brightly, the only way Hinata could... Warmth instantly flooded his chest and he suddenly felt so at peace. He shakily shook those thoughts away. _'It's not right,'_ he thought with conviction, _'thinking about Hinata like this. I'm an old man...'_

_"She won't be fifteen forever."  
_

_'I... Even then, it won't be right.'_

_"We won't condemn you, Kakashi."  
_

Kakashi was rapidly running out of reasons. _'I can't do this to her...'_ Loving her would present so many problems, the least of all, him being called a pedophile.

_"No one will give a shit."_

Even in the midst of all his turmoil, Kakashi had to admit that Genma had given a convincing argument.

He sighed, thinking of all the problems, questions, emotions... Hinata...

Kakashi sat up, knowing that he would not get to sleep at all, what with all these annoying thoughts in his head. He looked at his alarm clock.

5:00 PM

"I guess I'll go get dinner."

* * *

Genma dodged the kunai easily with a smirk and left Kakashi's apartment. So he was going to play it that way, huh?

He jumped onto the rooftop facing Kakashi's bedroom window and found a good hiding spot that allowed him to view Kakashi through his window. _'This really is a good spot if someone wanted to stalk Kakashi... Hmm, should I tell him that?'_ Genma chuckled. _'Yeah, right. He should really get curtains.'_

A slight movement made Genma snap his eyes towards Kakashi. The silver-haired jounin had sat up in his bed and was currently looking at his alarm clock. The jounin slowly put on his regular outfit and jumped out of his window.

He left his hiding spot and made his way to the bar where Raidou was waiting for him to spill the news. Genma chewed on his senbon thoughtfully. Honestly, it had gone better than he had thought. Hatake Kakashi was a private man, really he was. But spurning him on about the Hyuuga girl had been fun, in a suicidal kind of way. If Kakashi had gotten seriously mad, Genma would have made his way out of there as fast as possible.

_'Hmm, now where will this all lead...?'_

The image of the blushing girl that always made Kakashi smile came to mind. Genma's senbon popped up and down as he contemplated the thought of calling her Hatake Hinata. He guffawed, making him drop his precious senbon in the dirt. He stared at it before pocketing it and grabbing another of his senbon.

_'Damn it, that one was my favorite!'_ Now how was he going to enjoy his sake?!

* * *

"Slow down, Naruto! Are you trying to choke yourself or something?!"

Kakashi chuckled when he saw the boy choke, not on the ramen noodles, but at the furious swipe to his back from Sakura. The soft giggling from Hinata was followed by Sai's own small laugh.

He'd been surprised to see his team and Hinata eating together. Seeing that familiar indigo hair along with his team's own blonde and pink and black had been a shock, but not an unpleasant one.

He contemplated interrupting their meal, but looked on quietly as Naruto leaned over in his stool and whispered something into Hinata's ear. The girl turned a bright pink, which Kakashi assumed was from the close contact, and giggled softly.

Seeing that, the way she giggled and the way she blushed just for his blonde student, made an intense feeling come over him. His eye narrowed unintentionally and zoomed in on all of Naruto's vitals for a second before he could rein himself in. Kakashi drew in a shaky breath and decided that now was a good time to interrupt.

"Yo!"

All of his students and Hinata turned to look at him with shock or pleasant surprise, or in Sai's case, mild indifference.

"Kakashi-sensei!" yelled two of his loudest students.

He nodded towards them and sat next to Hinata. She turned her beautiful smile to him and he smiled back wearily.

The rest of the meal consisted of Naruto and Sakura arguing back and forth with Hinata stepping in every once in awhile. Kakashi tried hard not to notice the way her eyes would lighten whenever Naruto said something stupid or the way her cheeks would redden when Naruto would brush against her arm accidentally.

He really did. He tried very hard. But inside, even if his eye was focused on his Icha Icha book and the bowl of ramen that was getting colder by the second, he was burning from a strange sense of jealousy.

The last straw for him was when Naruto accidentally knocked over his drink on himself. Hinata had immediately grabbed the napkins and dabbed at the water. A faint memory of her doing that for him not too long ago flashed through his mind.

Raw, burning jealousy rushed through his veins, making his whole body feel on fire. He could see only her and him and suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to separate the two. Knowing that he had to get out of there, Kakashi stood up, faked a lazy smile and wave, and left.

He quickly made his way towards the memorial stone and stared at the engraving of his friend's name.

Usually, feelings of regret and pain would wash over him when he was there, but today the only thing going through his mind was the many memories that he shared with Hinata at this place, at this memorial site.

_"Iruka-sensei said that a good ninja is always stealthy. I've been working on masking my footfalls for years now, as the Hyuuga heiress."_

_"S-sorry, Kakashi-sensei... I-I probably shouldn't have h-hugged you like that... b-but-"_

_"Kakashi. Mistakes are made when people are younger. It's up to them to learn from it."_

_"You are a great person today because of what happened in the past."_

_"Because I always say goodbye to Obito-san before _I_ go on missions."_

Kakashi briefly wondered why his heart was beating so slowly as he thought about Hinata's many words to him, but he assumed that it probably had something to do with the way Hinata's presence always brought him an inexplicable feeling of peace.

A quiet voice came from behind him. "Kakashi?"

He lifted a hand without turning around, not too sure if he could face Hinata right now.

"You left so quickly earlier... Are you alright?"

Her voice that was filled with so much concern for him... He didn't deserve it. Not with the way he was currently acting, feeling angry when her chances of being with Naruto were getting better.

"I'm fine," he said with a lazy voice, hoping that it had masked his current turmoil.

Apparently he was a good actor, for Hinata didn't push any farther.

It was quiet as they stood there together, her facing him, his back to her. The sky gradually darkened, leaving only the stars to twinkle invitingly.

Hinata yawned quietly and spoke up. "I should get home, Kakashi. Kurenai-sensei is probably worried about where I am."

Kakashi finally found the will power to face her. When he saw her, however, he couldn't stop himself from staring. His eye took in her beautiful features, her pale cheeks that he liked to color strawberry pink, her eyes that were undeniably Hyuuga white with the lightest hint of lavender in them, her soft lips that always had a way of drawing his eye to them, her incredibly silky hair that he somehow wanted to run his fingers through...

"Kakashi?"

He smiled sheepishly at her, too embarrassed to say anything. He was slightly amused to see that her cheeks were that light pink that he loved almost as much as the darker shade of it. Remembering her ealier reactions, he gazed into her eyes, wondering what she would do.

Kakashi had to fight back the grin that threatened to overtake his lips when Hinata's eyes widened and a dark red burned her cheeks when he met her eyes.

"G-good night, Kakashi!"

He couldn't fight back the deep laughter that overflowed from his mouth, though, as Hinata practically fled the memorial grounds.

_'Teasing her is always fun,'_ he thought with a smile. Kakashi watched her run away and stared at the way her hair whipped behind her.

Kakashi made his way home with his book in his hand, although he wasn't really paying any attention to it. He passed the many stores and restaurants that he and Hinata had frequented over the past few months and smiled at all the memories they had made.

_'Oh, there's that dango shop... and there's that store I bought those tea cups at...'_ He passed by them with a small smile. He had a rule in life when he went to eat out: never pay for the meals. For Hinata, though, that rule was always broken. He wouldn't let her pay for anything and only allowed her to take turns because of Hinata's pleading look.

Kakashi couldn't deny the fact that meeting Hinata had changed him, in more ways than one.

All these thoughts ran through his mind, all these sweet memories of him and Hinata, together, laughing, teasing, lightly reprimanding...

Kakashi leaned against his kitchen counter tiredly and took off his headband. His Sharingan eye caught a twinkling light and he turned towards it.

The light from the moon and the stars was shining through his kitchen window on the glass cup he had cracked. Kakashi walked towards it and picked it up. As he looked at the crack, an enormous feeling enveloped his heart.

Kakashi could hear the beating of his heart quicken, he could hear it pounding in his chest, resonating in his eardrums.

_'I... would do anything for her. Anything.'_

He could see her bright smile, her shining eyes... He could hear her quiet voice, asking him if he was alright. He could see the way she always blushed, always embarrassed at the smallest of compliments.

Kakashi lightly ran a finger down the crack and breathed in shakily.

_'I... love her.'_

* * *

Sooo-o-o! What do you guys think? Do you guys find it believable that the other jounin would want the two to get together? I really didn't know how to go on with that scene, but I really wanted to add some Genma action and stuff... Plus, I spent a long time on that scene, so I just decided to include it anyways.

And how do you guys think I did with Kakashi's realization, wait, no, admitting to himself that he loved her? I personally liked it, but I'm not too sure if it was too... weird? Awkward? I'd love some feedback! :)

Hehe... I had fun making Kakashi jealous.

_**Anyways,**_ I really do hope that you guys liked it. This chapter took me a bit longer than usual, but I'm happy with the end-result. Now, next up is PAIN'S INVASION! Woohoo!

Oh, and I'd like to add that we are nearing the end of this particular story. I'd say that I'm probably going to add another few chapters, like two or three, and then... it's **the end!**

Don't worry, though, I am doing a sequel... of sorts... The information about it is on my page if you're interested.

Alrighty then, I shall get to work on the next chapter now. Please tell me what you guys think :)


	19. A Promise

I want to say THANK YOU to everyone who has reviewed, alerted, favorited, _read_, **A Different Story** so far! You guys are all encouraging me with your amazing compliments to my writing, even if you don't review. You alerting and/or favoriting tells me that my fic is at least that interesting =)

Oh, and another thing.

_To Those of You Who Are Wondering Who the Sunglass-Wearing Man is:_ I'm not really sure who he is.... hahah. I know for sure it's not Ebisu, though. I think the one I was imagining the whole time was some guy called Aoba?... He's the guy that told Sasuke that Uchiha Itachi was back in the village. Yupp. Well, just thought that I'd get it out there before I forgot again.

I'm kind of unhappy with this chapter, but I decided that I can't do anything else to change it, so I'll just post it up anyways.

**Hope you guys enjoy.**

* * *

"'The real one isn't there?' Hmm, what does that mean?..."

Kakashi stared at Hinata as she lifted her cinnamon bun to her mouth. As soon as she bit into the sugary fluff, she closed her eyes and sighed in satisfaction. Kakashi eyed the small smudge of sugar at the corner of her lips and briefly wondered what it would taste like, licking it off of- NO! _'Get a hold of yourself, Hatake Kakashi!'_

He breathed in deeply to calm himself from his... distracting thoughts and focused on his book and not on the way Hinata was licking at her lips, trying to get rid of the cinnamon that was powdered all over her delicious pink li- No, he was _not_ going to finish that thought, damn it!

"I don't know," he spoke up mildly, hoping that talking would distract him. "It's Jiraiya's message. It is known, however, that the Akatsuki leader has more than one body... and can revive himself if he dies... or at least that's what we think it is."

Hinata nodded. "I see..." She looked at him curiously. "But that doesn't explain where Naruto-kun has gone."

Kakashi cringed inside and tried to fight back the small burn of jealousy. "He... he went to train with the toads that taught Jiraiya himself." He smiled fakely. "I'm sure he'll come back stronger than before."

He tried not to feel the ache in his chest when he saw Hinata smile brightly and nod at what he said, not having a doubt that 'Naruto-kun' coming back stronger was _obvious._ He ignored it and tried to just relish in the small amount of time he had with Hinata right now.

They were sitting in a small cafe, just idling away time before Hinata had to go meet her team for a small mission. He watched her finish off the last of the sticky treat and stood.

"I guess I'll see you later, then, Hinata."

The girl nodded happily. "Yes. Our mission shouldn't take too long, just a few hours." Hinata waved to him. "Goodbye, Kakashi!"

_'She's as polite as ever,'_ thought Kakashi. A small smile tugged at his lips as he watched her walk away.

He walked through the streets slowly, wondering just what he would do today. Wasting away the rest of the day at the memorial stone sounded like a good idea.

Kakashi redirected his steps and found his way to the stone. He looked at the obsidian rock, his eyes tracing over the many engravings in the stone. So many lives had been lost, all in the name of duty. He smiled softly, remembering Obito's sacrifice.

Looking at the stone, he wondered if Obito would want to know how his life had been lately. Deciding that, yes, Obito being the nosy person that he was, would love to know the juicy details of his life at the moment, he spoke.

"Guess what, Obito?"

He stopped and stared at the bright, blue sky. He quickly looked back down when he realized that they were the exact color of Naruto's eyes.

Hinata _loved_ staring at the sky.

"I fell in love." He paused and imagined that Obito was probably laughing his head off in heaven, or wherever he was. "I know you're laughing at me, Obito. It is strange, an old man like me, falling in love... An idiot shinobi that is slated to die every time I take a mission and only barely making it out alive at the end of them." He sighed. "But I did and fell in love with a kunoichi... a young one at that. It's wrong, so wrong... But I can't find it in myself to just... not. I can't help but love her, Obito."

The area was quiet. The stone was quiet. Only the faint breeze indicated that, yes, he was standing at the memorial stone and talking about his love life to his dead friend. He sighed deeply, knowing that since he'd already started, he might as well finish it.

"Now I kind of understand why you loved to tell Rin jokes, as stupid as they were." A wry grin made its way to his lips. "No matter how stupid it is, you just want to see her laugh, see her throw her head back and laugh like she doesn't have a care in the world at all. And... now I understand what you went through when Rin would look at me. I'm sorry, Obito." He covered his face with his hand and closed his eye regretfully. "I'm sorry for not telling her to go to you, to be happy with you since I didn't love her, not like that. I'm sorry."

Only silence answered him.

He sighed before opening his book to stare at the words, since staring at the sky was definitely not an option.

_Boom! _

A loud explosion rang through out the village, sending shaking tremors through the area. Kakashi swiftly turned and ran towards the village.

_'Akatsuki? I didn't think that they would dare dream of attacking the village!'_

He cursed his foolishness and quickened his pace when he heard more explosions.

_'I hope that Hinata is safe...'_

_

* * *

_

"I hope I'm not late!" said Hinata as she looked at her teammates fearfully.

Kiba-kun grinned. "No, you're not, Hinata! Almost though! Right, Akamaru?" The large dog barked, his tongue lolling happily.

Hinata smiled at her teammates' antics.

"You are usually the first one here, though. I wonder what kept you back..." mused Shino-kun.

Hinata turned to looked at him in surprise. "Oh! I'm sorry, Shino-kun! It's just that I met Kakashi along the way... and we haven't talked in awhile, so we got something to eat."

Shino-kun nodded, his sunglasses reflecting the sunlight. "That is a reasonable excuse for being late. You do not have to apologize for that, Hinata."

Hinata nodded gratefully. Beside her, Kiba-kun was starting to get frustrated. "Come on! Let's start on our mission! Hana asked me to come by later for a check-up!"

It was quiet for a second as Hinata and Shino-kun took this in. Finally, Shino-kun spoke up.

"For you, or for Akamaru?"

"For Akamaru! My sister's a vet, Shino!" yelled Kiba-kun with an undeniable red tint to his tan cheeks.

Hinata giggled and shook her head in amusement.

The ground suddenly started to shake with tremors. Hinata and her teammates looked around cautiously, wondering just what was going on.

_BOOM! BOOM!_

A few buildings around them collapsed. Her and her teammates swiftly left the area, avoiding any injuries that falling rubble could cause. Others, however, were not so lucky. A flying roof tile collided with an unlucky villager's head. Hinata gasped when she saw him fall, unconscious and bleeding. She ran towards the man and picked him up.

"Shino-kun, Kiba-kun, Akamaru! I'm going to take him to the hospital!"

Her teammates nodded and Hinata made her way to the hospital, dodging and weaving between the increasingly crowded streets. People were screaming, yelling, retreating. She watched as a little girl stumbled on her feet, breaking her arm when she went down hard. Hinata quickly made handseals for a kage bunshin; her clone picked the girl up and they ran full speed towards the hospital.

To her dismay, it was already filling up fast. Hinata watched as Sakura-chan ran around trying to give everyone treatment in sympathy. She placed the bleeding man on a blanket and dispelled her clone, allowing the little girl to sit down.

"You'll get treated soon," said Hinata quietly, hoping to alleviate the tears that were currently running down the girl's face.

The little girl nodded and set her lips in a grim line. Hinata smiled softly, seeing a great kunoichi in the future.

Hinata stood up and looked around, wondering if maybe there was something she could do. Seeing the extent of so many injuries, Hinata quietly decided that, with her non-existant knowledge of medical jutsu, she should just walk away and see if there was any way she could help with the intruders.

She walked outside and activated her byakugan to its fullest range. She gasped when she saw so many bodies slumped over, none having a heartbeat.

_'S-so many people have died...'_

Her heart pounded painfully as she quickly scanned the bodies, praying with a bated breath that none of her precious friends were among the body count. She exhaled in relief when she saw that no one she personally knew was killed, just some with a few injuries. A small feeling of guilt welled up in her, but she quickly shook it away when she saw that Kakashi was engaged in a fight with a strange man.

_'His piercings... they're receiving chakra... Chakra receivers? T-that cloak... he's Akatsuki?!'_

Hinata took a half step forward when she saw Kakashi being pulled in by the man's strange ninjutsu but decided not to interfere with his fight when she saw Chouji-kun and his father rushing towards him to back him up. Instead she focused her sights elsewhere, seeing if anyone else needed help.

Her eyes caught sight of a huge scorpion that was demolishing the Hyuuga compound. Hinata hesitated for a half-second, but shook her head and ran towards it, wondering how she would kill it.

She eyed its strong plates of shell and found a few vulnerable spots. Hinata swiftly threw wired kunai at them, hitting many of the fleshy parts. Her heart leaped when the scorpion gave an ear-splitting screech and turned to face her with its pinchers scissoring the air threateningly and its tail waving. She tried to ignore the fact that she could see the poison dripping off of the tail and started on a set of handseals.

"Katon: Ryuka no jutsu," she muttered.

Flames spewed from her mouth onto the oiled wires she had sent and fired up immediately as it burned along the wire. When it reached the kunai she'd thrown, the explosion tags she'd attached to them exploded. She watched grimly as the scorpion was blown to pieces with most of its remaining body parts going up in flame.

"H-Hinata-sama!?" came a shocked voice.

Hinata flicked her eyes downward from her spot on a roof and felt a small smile break across her face.

"Ko!" she said happily.

She jumped down from the roof to greet the man that had once been her bodyguard those many, long years ago. The man (who looked older than she last remembered) grinned as she neared him.

"You've grown up!" His face creased as he smiled that wondrous smile she remembered. His Hyuuga eyes scrutinized her with an accusing look. "In more ways than one," he muttered.

Hinata giggled. "Yes, I have, Ko. I'm glad that you still remember me."

Ko shook his head. "How can I forget little Hinata?"

She blushed and looked away to survey the area around them. "It seems the Hyuuga compound is going to need some rebuilding..."

The man nodded. "Yes." He quickly turned around. "Some branch members are injured, Hinata-sama! We have to get them to the hospital!"

Hinata nodded and ran with him towards the crumbling living quarters. She gasped when she saw so many of her precious family members in agony, all nursing broken bones or bleeding injuries.

Ko picked up two men easily and gave a sympathetic look to the rest. "We'll have to return later."

"No, we won't."

Hinata put her hands together to make a seal. Seven kage bunshins popped into existence and picked up the injured. She smiled softly at the surprised look on her family's faces and picked up the last person, a young boy she didn't remember.

"Let's go."

Ko nodded and they made their way to the hospital. When they got there, it was horribly crowded, but they managed to fit her family members in. A sudden thought occured to her as she laid the injured boy on a blanket.

"Where's Fa-Hiashi-sama and Hanabi-chan?"

Ko sent her a soft look and said, "They're on a mission right now."

Hinata nodded in relief. "O-oh, that's good. That means they're safe from this attack."

"You're right, Hinata-sama." Ko looked at her with a smile. "I'm going to head back to the compound to see if there any others injured."

"I'll come with you."

Hinata stood up and followed Ko outside, away from the moaning bodies and the smell of spilt blood.

Hearing another explosion, Hinata instinctively turned on her byakugan. Beside her, Ko did the same. She looked around, wondering where the explosion came from, but stopped in her tracks when... when... she saw it.

Her eyes widened in horror as her byakugan saw the last vestiges of Kakashi's chakra trickle upward, trickle upward in a familiar movement to his eye... to Obito-san's eye... for that familiar jutsu of his.

"No," she said hollowly. "No."

Despite her desperate plea for him to _not_ do it, he concentrated all of his chakra on his eye and sent a flying missile to another dimension, allowing Chouji to run away.

"NO! Kakashi! K-Kakashi..." she choked on her tearless sob as she saw with her own eyes, the gradual slowing of his heart, the gradual shutting of his eyes.

She bit back the sob, she released her weights... and she ran towards Kakashi, towards her friend, at top speed.

_'I have to get there! I have to!'_

* * *

He was Hatake Kakashi, the infamous Copy Nin, the one known to have copied over one thousand ninjutsu. He was feared through out the five Shinobi Countries. He was the very definition of a perfect and elite ninja, the quiet, cool, detached ninja that all aspired to be.

Kakashi knew that. But he also knew that the titles and the fame were meaningless.

He aimed his Sharingan at the missile that threatened to kill Chouji, the one with the information, and concentrated. He concentrated all of his chakra into his eye, hoping to send it elsewhere.

Kakashi knew what was going to happen as he sent that missile to another dimension.

He wasn't stupid.

_'Without a doubt... I'll die.'_

No matter how much he wanted to live, giving up his life for Konoha was his duty... his own way of protecting his precious village.

His own way of protecting his precious people.

His friends.

Hinata.

_'It looks like... this is it... for me...'_

Darkness surrounded him and he knew, just _knew_, that this was the end.

_'Obito... I guess I can't be your eyes anymore... I'm sorry that I'm always breaking your promises...'_

As the darkness started to swallow him, he heard the faintest sound of someone crying.

_'I'm sorry... I didn't want to make you cry... Hinata...'_

He stepped into the darkness slowly.

_'I guess... I'm leaving with one more regret...'_

* * *

There was something wrong with the way she was holding Kakashi.

For one thing, he was covered in rubble and blood.

And for the other thing... he wasn't delicately putting his hands around her, in that way that only Kakashi could do. In that way where he accepted the hug, but didn't necessarily like it. In that way where he wouldn't hug her back, but didn't push her away.

In that way where he silently said, _'You're the only one who's allowed to hug me like this.'_

The tears wouldn't stop rolling down her face.

"Kakashi..."

She buried her face in his jounin vest and inhaled the scent that was purely Kakashi. That deep scent of fresh pine, that underlying masculine scent, mixed with the blood that dripped from his forehead and the dirt that covered him.

"Hinata-sama!" A breathless voice called out to her. "H-Hinata-sama..."

She ignored it, not even sure if she could talk with the way her throat was all clogged up. Instead, she just held Kakashi's body tighter to hers, pressing him firmly against her, just so that... just so that... she could keep herself together, keep herself from losing it completely.

Something crawled onto Kakashi's shoulder. Hinata whipped out a kunai and was just about to slash through the creature when a hand grabbed her wrist, preventing her from killing the... slug.

"Relax, Hinata-sama."

"Yes, please," said a pleasant voice. "I'm Tsunade-hime's summon, Katsuyuu."

Hinata blinked and peered between her watery tears to look at the blue slug. The slug smiled at her sadly.

She wiped her tears away, but as soon as she looked at Kakashi's limp body, more tears fell.

_'Kakashi's... dead. H-he's dead. He's... dead.'_

The tears were wetting Kakashi's vest, she knew that. She couldn't stop the tears, though. They were falling of their own accord. Her mind was acutely aware of where she was, what she was doing, but her heart... her heart was pounding... pounding... Eratically. Painfully. And her eyes... they... they just wouldn't stop, stop letting the salty tears fall.

Holding Kakashi's warm body... it felt like a physical pain was ramming into her chest... She let go of Kakashi's body and just clung to herself, hugged her body... kept her heart from breaking... from shattering. Knowing that... knowing that...

_'We'll never train together anymore... We'll never eat out together again... We won't... we won't...' _A loud sob escaped the careful confines of her mouth. _'He'll never read his porn in public anymore. He'll never be late to everything anymore... He... He... He'll never tease me again. He'll never say, "I'm proud of you, Hinata." anymore. He'll...'_ Hinata covered her face with her hands, too numb to properly wipe off her tears.

It was these devastating... depressing... unbelievable thoughts that made her tears slide down faster, made the sobs escape her lips... made her lose herself in the torrent of pain.

She didn't know that such a pain existed.

This pain that... that... was just tearing into her heart, ripping it, burning it...

"Kakashi..." she whispered.

Suddenly, wind started cutting into her mercilessly. Hinata widened her eyes in shock when she saw buildings being flattened ahead. The strange attack picked up its pace, decimating and destroying everything outward.

"Hinata-sama!" yelled Ko fearfully.

_'That's going to kill us!'_

Hinata didn't try to shield herself. She jumped on top of Kakashi and wrapped a thin layer of chakra around him, hoping that, _praying _that, Kakashi's body would be alright because she didn't think that she could stand it if she had to hand over a broken Kakashi, had to see cold blood leak from his wounds, when it _should_ be warm, should _still be_ pumping from his heart.

Something landed on top of her. In her hazy mind, but sharp awareness, she assumed that it was Ko and could only hope that he would be alright.

As the seconds passed by, it became obvious that the thing on top of her was obviously not Ko. Her breathing became harsh because she was being sat on, smushed practically. She tried not to think about the fact that she was being pressed against Kakashi's body and _was it her imagination, but was Kakashi's body already starting to lose its heat?_

Finally, the heavy thing got off of her and air could come and go as it pleased in her lungs. She stood up and wiped away the tears that had been trailing down her cheeks. In the face of danger, she had to calm herself and keep the tears inside.

There was time to mourn later.

"Hinata-sama! Are you alright?"

Hinata looked behind her and her heart skipped a beat when she saw Ko slumped on the ground with his leg at a strange angle.

"Ko!" She ran towards him, trying not to feel the pain that beated in time with her heart that leaving Kakashi's side made her feel, and knelt next to him. "Your leg's broken!"

Ko smiled. "I'm fine." He tilted his head towards Kakashi. "It's thanks to Katsuyuu that we survived."

Hinata looked and was surprised to see that the blue slug had grown in size. So that was what had sat on her.

It suddenly spoke. "Uzumaki Naruto has arrived and is currently fighting against Pein. It is the one that Kakashi engaged in battle."

Hinata's eyes widened and she activated her byakugan. Her eyes landed on Naruto-kun, but she took in the... the flattened area that was now Konoha. She bit back a gasp and focused on Naruto-kun's fight.

She smiled weakly as she looked at his improved rasenshuriken and his new toad sage abilities, but couldn't muster up the energy to feel anything else. Her eyes kept straying to Kakashi's body, and she kept flinching when she would see that his heart wasn't beating... that he wasn't breathing... that he would never do so again.

She stared at Naruto-kun as he fought and used clever tricks and strategies, but her mind was elsewhere.

Her friend... her crush was fighting a life-or-death battle, but the only thing she could see was Kakashi's eye that always looked so lazy, yet always curved in amusement when he was teasing her or taking enjoyment out of other people's embarrassment.

She could only see that lazy wave of his hand. And that way he would look up obliviously from his book. And that sexy smirk of his. And that... And his...

_'No, I can't cry. I can't. I-I can't...'_

Hinata wiped away the tear that had managed to escape her eye. Her eyes widened when she saw one of Naruto-kun's toads get impaled by one of Pein's chakra receivers. Her heart leaped when she saw Naruto-kun's hands get impaled with another chakra receiver, immobilizing him.

"N-Naruto-kun! He needs help!" gasped out Hinata. She took a step forward but was stopped by Ko's hand.

"You don't have a chance against this Akatsuki person, Hinata-sama."

She bit her lip but stepped back. Doing so, however, made her step on something. Hinata looked down and was stunned to see Kakashi's headband on the ground. Fighting back a fresh round of tears, she picked it up and walked to Kakashi.

"Kakashi..." she murmured as she kneeled down by his side. She pushed away the hair that was in his eye with a small smile. She'd always secretly admired his silver hair. It was unique and outstanding and just so... _Kakashi_.

Hinata placed the headband in his vest pocket and stared at him for a few seconds, slightly marveling at how he looked like he was just sleeping.

_'But he's not, Hinata... He'll never wake up again...'_

She couldn't stop the few tears that escaped her tightly closed eyes this time. She quickly turned her attention back to the fight... or lecture.

* * *

"We both want the same thing. We both want the peace that Jiraiya spoke of."

Naruto felt his head lower. What this man was saying... what he was trying to prove... it was all making sense... if just a little.

"You and I are no different. We're both working for our own justice. The justice I have proved in wiping out Konoha is the same thing you are fighting for. Do you not get it, Uzumaki Naruto?" His cool, indifferent voice spoke volumes. Made sense. "Everyone feels the pain of loss the same. We both know that pain. You are working for your justice and I for mine. But can revenge really be called justice? If revenge is called justice then that justice will bring about more revenge. It becomes a chain of hatred."

Naruto watched the man's black eyes darken in a calm, unhurried manner. "The world of ninja is a world ruled by hatred. You say you want to bring about peace? Tell me, Uzumaki Naruto, how would you face this hatred to gain peace?"

What was he supposed to say to that? How was he supposed to answer? He closed his eyes regretfully, remembering Ero-sennin's old words.

_"Even I can tell that the hatred is spreading... But I believe that someday one day will come when people will really understand one another!"_

"I-I don't know," he mumbled out. "I just don't know."

The man, the leader of Akatsuki stared coldly down at him. His icy eyes felt like they were searing into him as he explained Akatsuki's purpose... its goal.

"You say my peace is a lie. But a world where people will come together and understand each other is just a fantasy."

Naruto growled. "You're wrong! Ero-sennin believed that that day would come!"

The man walked up to him with his black rod in his hand. "All you can do is give me the Nine-tails. With your death will come an era of peace."

Naruto couldn't deny the fact that his heart was beating harshly in his chest. _'I'm... going to die...'_

"Guaaagh!" He clenched his jaw and shut his eyes, trying hard not to breathe too deeply. If he did, the chakra rods inside of him would burn like hell.

"I avoided your vital organs, but with this, you won't be able to move," said Pein coldly. "And now, you come with me."

A feeling of foreboding welled up in him, but he shook it away. There had to be another way...

Suddenly, another chakra signature came running up towards them. With a burst of chakra, someone pushed Pein away. Naruto felt his heart clench uncomfortably when he looked up to see... Hinata.

_'No, no, no, NO! This can't be happening!'_

"HINATA! What are you doing?! Get out of here! You're no match against him!"

_'Ero-sennin died by his hands! Kakashi-sensei died by his hands! You... you...'_

"I know..." came the quiet voice of Hinata. Naruto looked up at her when he heard the strange trembling note in her voice. "But... I won't just watch you die."

* * *

Hinata watched in horror as the man, Pein, stuck chakra rods into Naruto-kun's body, immobilizing him.

_'Naruto-kun!'_

She couldn't just watch him... watch this. _'I have to do something!'_

"Hinata-sama!"

She ignored Ko's call and jumped through the broken remains of Konoha, hoping that... she could make it.

Her eyes widened when the man lifted his hand threateningly towards Naruto-kun. _'No! I have to get there in time!'_

With a burst of chakra, she leaped into the battle field and pushed back the man. She turned towards him and stood at a battle-ready stance.

"HINATA! What are you doing?! Get out of here! You're no match against him!"

Hinata inwardly flinched. Of course she wasn't... but...

"I know..." She took in a trembling breath. "But... I won't just watch you die."

"What do you mean?! Just get out of here, Hinata!"

This was her crush yelling at her, this was her source of admiration telling her to go away. Usually, she would be a bit disheartened and sad.

...But why was it that the only thing running through her mind was her own words... from a long time ago.

_"I'll become strong enough that when I do tell him, I'll be able to protect him with my life."_

Why was it that Kakashi's smiling eye kept appearing in her mind?

_"I'll help you keep that promise, Hinata."_

"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun... I've kept something a secret from you for a very long time."

With her byakugan, she could see the incredulous look on Naruto-kun's face. "What the hell are you talking about, Hinata?! Get away! You're going to die!"

"I know who your father is," she said quietly.

It was finally quiet as Naruto-kun took this in. "What?" he rasped out. Her heart broke a little, hearing the pain in his voice.

"He was the Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato. I'm sorry, Naruto-kun, for not telling you this earlier, but... I made a promise."

"A promise?" came Naruto-kun's choked voice.

"I promised... Kakashi... that I wouldn't tell you... not until I became strong enough... to protect you." Hinata smiled softly. "Today... even if I'm still not strong enough, I'll protect you with my life." She shifted slightly, looking for the right angle to run in.

"...Why?"

A bit surprised by the question, Hinata turned her head around to smile at him, making sure not to lose sight of Pein.

"I won't let my precious comrades die in front of me. Not when I can help it."

She didn't wait to hear Naruto-kun's reply; she just ran towards Pein.

Like she expected, he used his Shinra Tensei to push her away. She quickly Kawarimi'd with one of the water bunshin that she had made on her way and disappeared underground.

_'There should be a five-second interval until he can use his attack again!'_

Using a technique that she once used against Kakashi (her heart twanged painfully), and keeping her byakugan on his movements, she quickly dug her way out and punched him in the chin. She was gratified to hear the painful sound of teeth hitting teeth.

Hinata watched him fly back with an annoyed grimace on his face. _'My five seconds are over.' _She swiftly ran through a set of handseals. "Suiton: Suikidan no jutsu!"

The roar of her water shark appeared and flew furiously towards the cloaked man. As he used his Shinra Tensei to deflect the attack, Hinata swiftly appeared behind him and started her barrage of attacks on his tenketsu. Much to her annoyance, when she jabbed at two of his points, he disappeared.

_'From the left!'_

Hinata dodged his strong kick by ducking and spun on her heel to deliver a strong palm thrust to his chest. Using a speed she hadn't expected, he appeared behind her and lifted his hand. _'No! The five seconds have passed!'_

She winced as the pure force sent her flying back. Hinata's back collided into the ground painfully, and she was sure that she had broken a few ribs from that insane force. Before she could recover from the attack, a chakra rod was placed in her left shoulder, just barely missing her heart.

"Ahh!"

The cry of pain escaped her lips before she could stop it. She furiously bit her lip to withhold the sharp pants her usual calm breaths had taken.

The pain was unbearable though. His chakra was mixing with hers, sending burning sensations through out her body.

"HINATA!"

Darkness was starting to claim her... starting to swallow her.

_'Why is it so cold?' _

She couldn't see anything, couldn't feel anything.

_'Is this... what dying feels like?'_

Her heart gave a few feeble thumps before it stopped.

_'I'm... dying...?"_

For some reason, a wave of relief washed over her.

_'Will I... get to see... Kakashi... again?...'

* * *

_

**...No comment.**

Just kidding.

*sighhh. I'm not sure what to make of this chapter. I really need your opinions.

Was it good? Was it bad? Was it heart-breaking? Or was it just bland?

Blehh, it was sooo hard getting the right feelings across and the right emotions... I wanted her to realize her feelings this chapter but... it just didn't happen for some reason...

Anyways, no matter if you hated it or loved it, I'd love your reviews! Tell me what I need to fix, what I need to focus on, etc.

Thanks for reading!


	20. His Answer

Thanks for everyone's reviews. I really enjoyed reading them, even the ones that pointed out the flaws in my last chapter. I promise that I'll go back and fix them... but I don't think I'll do that just yet. I'm a bit exhausted by now doing this arc and stuff... It's tiring writing about my favorite characters dying and such... Haha.

A lot of your reviews made me laugh =) I guess killing off Kakashi and Hinata made a lot of you question just where this story was going to go. But do not worry! If you've read the latest Naruto chapters, you'll know just what happens.

Speaking of which, I really hated the newest chapter, **Chapter 459**. God, I hate seeing Sakura cry. She makes me so annoyed. It was difficult writing parts of this chapter in Sakura's POV because I was so frustrated with her. But then again, I have to admire that inner and outer strength of hers... It's just that she gets on my nerves.

Anyways, thanks again for everyone's reviews on my last chapter. Your advice betters my writing which betters your reading, right? Lol, anyways, please enjoyyy :)

* * *

"Uzumaki Naruto is engaged in battle with the Akatsuki leader, Pein."

Sakura's eyes widened when she took in Katsuyuu's words. _'No...'_

The Hyuuga man next to her turned on his byakugan and turned his head to the right. "Uzumaki-san is over there!" He pointed.

Sakura looked but couldn't see anything due to the far distance.

"He has taken out all of Pein's bodies, except for one," said the Hyuuga.

_'What? Has Naruto gotten that strong...?'_

The Hyuuga man gasped and she turned to look at him fearfully.

"He has been immobilized by strange chakra rods. Pein is now talking to him. From his lips, it appears that he is talking about how peace is Akatsuki's goal."

Sakura heard the disbelieving tone in his voice and couldn't help but agree with it.

_'Peace? They're just a bunch of terrorists.'_

The Hyuuga's eyes suddenly widened in horror. "Oh no..."

"What?" asked Sakura worriedly.

"Hinata-sama stopped Pein just before he was about to do something to Uzumaki-san... and she is now engaging him in battle. Hinata-sama..."

Sakura's eyes widened in shock. _'H-Hinata? Why?'_

"Hinata-sama is putting up a good fight." The Hyuuga said proudly. He suddenly gasped and took a step forward. "No, Hinata-sama!"

"What?! What's happened to Hinata!?" she practically screamed.

"She was pushed back by that Pein's mysterious force and... he has just stabbed her, just barely missing her h-heart." His voice quivered slightly as he finished.

Sakura quickly stood up. She could still save her, could still... The Hyuuga put a hand on her shoulder. She turned to look at him fiercely but her look lost its power when she saw that sad smile on his face.

"Hinata-sama is... dead."

"No... not Hinata..." Sakura closed her eyes as a few tears escaped her eyes. "Hinata..."

_'Why...? Why do all this for Naruto?'_

Just as she asked herself that question, the ground started to shake.

"W-what's happening?" she asked as she turned to the Hyuuga. She gasped when she saw his expression. "What?!"

"Uzumaki-san... His seal is weakening... The Nine-tail's chakra is escaping."

"No..." she breathed.

As she said that, the area started to be filled with a dark, malevolent chakra. The feeling of malice and killing intent made her shiver even when she was nowhere near the fight. A sudden thought occurred to her. "How many tails does he have?!"

The Hyuuga looked at her distractedly. "Six, Sakura-san. He has six."

_'Six?! Oh, no...'_

The shaking suddenly stopped but the chakra still remained in the area. "What's happening?"

The Hyuuga didn't say anything, just pointed upward. Sakura looked upward and gasped.

In a strange cocoon made of what looked like mismatched pieces of Konoha's ground and buildings, she could hear furious growls from the inside of it.

"Naruto's in there?"

The Hyuuga nodded and suddenly stiffened. "Hinata-sama is still over there!" He tensed his muscles and was just about to leap up when he relaxed. "Neji and his team have got her and are heading this way."

"Good."

Just as Sakura said that, the growling suddenly got louder. A loud explosion sounded and the cocoon was broken. Sakura looked up and couldn't withhold the gasp that escaped her lips. "Eight..." she breathed.

And suddenly it felt like she was being crushed by the strong chakra. It was suffocating and burning her at the same time. She knew it was just her imagination, but the strong force of the Nine-tail's chakra was unbelievably powerful and even more crushing in its eight-tails form.

_'I... this is horrible! Naruto! You... you have to pull through! Naruto!'_

_

* * *

_

**_"Come here... Pull this seal apart... It will release you from your suffering..."_**

Naruto dragged his feet forward in his hazy, pained state. The voice... it was so seductive... He had to... The voice said that it was alright... He lifted his hand and placed his hand on the seal. He was going to pull it off and...

Someone suddenly grabbed his hand and pushed him back.

"What?!"

He gasped when he saw a flash of yellow hair and a fierce and familiar face.

"Yondaime Hokage..."

The man looked at the fox with a calculating look before turning to him. "I set the seal so that if eight tails are released, I would appear in your consciousness." He sighed and looked back at the fox. "I never wanted to see you again, Nine-tails. But I guess it's ok since I got to see how my son has grown."

Naruto's heart felt like it was bursting. He had just been told by Hinata that the Fourth Hokage was his dad, but he really hadn't had the time to take it all in.

_'Hinata...'_

His heart pounded painfully when he remembered seeing her... stabbed very near her heart. When he saw her take that last shuddering breath... he had snapped.

_'But maybe it's worth it... to see my dad.'_ Naruto looked at the man in front of him. His bright yellow hair that was so much like his and those bright blue eyes that felt like he was looking in the mirror... And suddenly he just felt like punching him.

"D-dad?"

"Yeah, Naruto?"

He walked up to his father and punched him a good one in his stomach.

"Oof!"

Naruto was gratified to hear the sound of his father's surprised cry.

"How could you seal the Nine-tails into your own son?! Don't you know how much my life's been screwed up because of it?!" he yelled furiously. Tears streamed down his face as he felt all the anguish and pain that had been put upon him since he was young hit him in rolling waves.

"I'm sorry, Naruto... Look, let's go discuss this elsewhere, ok?" He snapped his fingers and suddenly the dank cave disappeared and they were standing in the middle of nowhere. His dad's blue eyes met his. Naruto could see the warmth in them, even through the furious tears that were clouding his vision.

"How could you do that to me?" he asked between sobs. "Your own son? I don't even know if I should be happy or pissed beyond belief!"

"Naruto... How old are you now?"

Naruto looked up at that random question and wiped off his tears slowly. "Sixteen," he mumbled.

"Sixteen, huh?" The Fourth looked at him with a sad expression. "I guess I have put you through a lot of trouble... I don't even know if I deserve to be called your dad..."

"It's ok," said Naruto quietly. "I'm the son of the Fourth Hokage. I can deal with it."

His dad smiled at him and he returned it with one of his own trembling ones.

"Naruto... The reason I sealed half of the fox's chakra into you was because I thought you could use it. Because you're my son." Naruto felt a surge of pride at being called his son fill him. He grinned stupidly and wiped away the rest of his tears. "There's another reason too... That night the fox attacked us, I realized something."

"What?" he asked curiously.

"The fox was being controlled by someone... someone from the Akatsuki."

Naruto gasped. "Pein?"

His dad shook his head. "No. It was the other member, the one with the mask." A sudden image of the transporting ninja, Tobi, appeared in his mind. "I believe that he'll attack the village again... If he does, you're going to need to use the Nine-tail's chakra to fight him. And with Jiraiya dead, it's going to be hard."

"You know he's dead?!" asked Naruto incredulously.

His dad nodded. "Yeah, I saw everything you have. I also know that Konoha's destroyed. That man, Pein... He's most likely being used by that masked man."

"No, that can't be right. He hates Konoha!"

"Yeah, and he's using that to destroy Konoha."

Naruto took all this in quietly. A sudden thought occurred to him. "Why is all this happening to Konoha?"

"I guess it has to do with the ninja system. As long as the ninja system is alive, maybe there really will be no peace." His dad looked him straight in the eye. "Pein asked you about peace... and whether or not you have an answer. It's hard to find one... I know that... but I believe that you can, Naruto."

Naruto shook his head. "I can't... I... can't forgive him for killing Jiraiya."

"I understand that, Naruto... But the more and more I think about it, the more I believe that Jiraiya was really killed by the pain that made Pein... Pein." His dad looked at him. "Naruto... I know you can do it."

"I... How can you know that? Why don't you tell me the answer?" asked Naruto desperately. Why were all these hopes being placed on his shoulders? Why? "If you and Ero-sennin couldn't do it, how do you expect me to do it?!"

He clenched his fists and drew in long, deep breaths. A hand was suddenly placed on his head. Naruto looked up in surprise to see his dad smiling at him.

"You will find the answer. I believe in you."

Naruto looked at him in shock. "R-really? You think so?"

"Of course. Parents always believe in their children." He placed his fingertips on the dripping seal and pushed chakra into it. "I'm going to fix your seal... but this will be the last time. I know you can do it, Naruto. Protect Konoha and all those precious to you."

And suddenly his dad started to become transparent. He... was leaving?

"Dad! You..." He smiled at his dad. "Thank you."

His dad looked at him a gentle expression in his eyes.

Naruto felt his surroundings change. He blinked and realized that he was back on the battlefield. He looked around and felt the chakra in the air. _'There's Pein!'_ He put his hands together. _'Watch me... Dad.'_

_

* * *

_

"Sakura-san! Sakura-san!"

Sakura looked away from the massive sight of the eight-tailed fox. What she saw almost made her break down in tears.

In Neji's arms lay Hinata. On the left side of her chest, blood had soaked through her jacket and she wasn't... she wasn't breathing. Sakura knew due to all her medical training that Hinata... was no longer living.

"I... I'm sorry... there is nothing more I can do."

Neji nodded and laid Hinata down carefully. From the rapid blinks of his white Hyuuga eyes, it looked suspiciously like he was trying to hold back his own tears. Tenten patted his shoulder with one hand and wiped away tears with her other. From the side, Lee and Gai were shedding tears, both surprisingly quiet.

"H-Hinata-sama," whispered the Hyuuga man with a choked gasp.

"Why would she do this... for him?" asked Neji hollowly.

"Before she fought with Pein... she said something about a promise, Neji," said the Hyuuga. "A promise she had made to Kakashi-san... A promise that she would protect Uzumaki-san with her life."

Sakura opened her mouth in shock. _'Hinata? Hinata did?'_

Soft, quiet words from a long time ago came to her.

_"I'm j-jealous of the fact that you hold N-Naruto-kun's attention so easily."_

_"I... I admire him a lot."  
_

_'Hinata liked him... to that extent?'_ thought Sakura sadly.

The ferocious roars of the Nine-tails suddenly stopped. The entire group looked up cautiously. The massive chakra that had been filling the area just seconds ago had... just disappeared.

"What's happening?" asked Tenten quietly.

"The eight-tails have disappeared!" gasped the Hyuuga. "Uzumaki-san is somehow back to normal!"

"W-what? Naruto-kun..." breathed Lee.

"That's great," said Gai with a shining grin. "Lee! Let's go back him up!"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," said Katsuyuu from her perch on Sakura's shoulder. "You'll just get in his way."

"What are you talking about?!" yelled Lee.

"Naruto has a plan. It would be best if we just stayed here and believed in him."

Gai nodded solemnly. "I see."

Sakura listened on quietly and wiped away the last of her tears. _'You can do it, Naruto.'_

_

* * *

_

"I won't kill you!" yelled Naruto furiously. "I'll believe in what Jiraiya believed in!"

Nagato looked at him dully. "You'll believe in what Jiraiya believed in? That is you answer... I will tell you this: there is no such thing as peace! It's impossible as long as there are ninja around!"

Naruto looked at him and calmly quoted the words from Jiraiya's book. "'Then... I will break the curse. If there's such a thing as peace, I will find it.' I won't give up!"

He was relieved when Nagato looked at him in surprise. "Those words..."

"They're from this book, _The Legend of the Gutsy Ninja_. Ero-sennin dedicated this book to his pupil... and that was you."

Naruto watched as Nagato took this in quietly. He finally spoke. "I see." He put his hands together and made a seal. "Gedo Rinne Tensei no jutsu." He looked Naruto straight in the eye. "Your answer... I want to believe in it. With this jutsu... I can at least help you and revive all those that I killed in Konoha."

Naruto gasped. "W-what? Y-you will?"

Images of Hinata's bleeding body filled his mind. _'He'll bring them back to life again?!'_

"Thank you, Uzumaki Naruto."

The chakra filled the room and spread out. Naruto prayed that whatever jutsu he was using would work. _'Kakashi-sensei... Hinata... everyone...'_

Naruto tensed up when the chakra left. Nagato suddenly slumped over. Naruto's eyes widened and he ran forward but was stopped by the blue-haired woman.

"Nagato is dead but his dreams lie with you. Uzumaki Naruto. I will put my faith in you as well." Origami papers flew apart and the giant tree they had been in disappeared. A bouquet of flowers appeared in the woman's hands. "Here, Uzumaki Naruto. I give these to you to show you... that Amegakure will follow you."

Naruto nodded his head gratefully. "Thank you."

"Now go, go to your village."

"I will! Goodbye!"

He turned and jumped onto a tree.

_'I really hope that... everyone will be alive!'_

_

* * *

_"Wait, what? Are you telling me that you fell in love with a teenager?"

Kakashi looked at his dad sheepishly. "Yeah, well... Hinata's not just a teenager. She's a kunoichi of the Leaf."

His dad leaned forward thoughtfully, his gaze on the fire. "That's true... As long as she makes you happy, Kakashi."

Kakashi rubbed the back of his head, relieved that his father didn't condemn him loving Hinata either. It made him feel a little better about loving her... Well, he was dead, though...

_'Dead, huh...'_ Kakashi stared at the fire in front of him. _'I hope that Hinata made it out of there alive.'_

"But you know, Kakashi... I never thought we'd both die so young. Well, not as young as your mother."

Listening to his father's hurt voice, Kakashi decided that... maybe now would be good time to let his father know... his true feelings.

"Regardless of what happened, you did the best you could. I understand now... You broke the rules for all of our sakes." Kakashi closed his eye and lowered his head. "I'm proud of you now."

He didn't need to look at his dad to know that he was shocked. The silence proved it.

"Thank you, Kakashi..."

He smiled, glad that his dad understood. Suddenly, something slammed into his chest, making him open both eyes in shock. A bright light beamed upon him and sent tingling sensations all over his body.

"...What the?"

From his seat on the log, his dad spoke. "Looks like it's not your time yet, Kakashi. You've still got things to do..."

Kakashi looked at his father in shock. "Dad..."

His dad turned to look at him with a smile. "I'm glad that I got to talk with you Kakashi. Now I can move on, knowing that you've forgiven me." His dad's expression softened. "I can finally see your mother again..."

Kakashi felt as if his body disappearing... vanishing. Before he left, though, he heard his father's parting words.

"I give you and Hinata my blessings. Oh, and tell her I said hi."

Darkness creeped in, but not before he finished his last thought.

_'Dad... you idiot.'_

He passed through a dark abyss and felt something shining on him.

Kakashi snapped his eye open. And blinked at the bright light.

"Kakashi! You're alive!"

He sat up and turned his head to see Chouji and Chouza smiling at him. He looked around in wonder.

"What happened?" he said quietly.

Chouza rushed towards him. "It looks like Naruto defeated Pein with words. That kid... he convinced him that what he was doing wasn't right and somehow... Pein used a jutsu that brought everyone who died in the attack back to life."

Kakashi sat there, utterly shocked.

_'Naruto? He... he's grown so much!'_

"I'm going to bring him back," he said and stood up.

He felt strength trickle into him and smiled. _'That means Hinata's alright wherever she is.'_

* * *

She didn't know what this darkness was. It was all around her, encompassing her... enveloping her.

_'Where am I?'_

Her breaths came in short pants, all laced with fear. Where was she? Why was she here?

Suddenly her mind cleared and images appeared out of nowhere.

A silver-haired man whose face and one eye was covered was talking to a little dark-haired girl at a strange stone. She couldn't make out the words but she could see the utter happiness in the little girl's face.

The image disappeared and was replaced with one of the same silver-haired man talking to the girl. In this particular image, however, the girl had grown quite a few inches and was blushing heavily and the man had his nose in an orange book.

_'Orange... book?'_

A faint memory tickled at the back of her mind, but she pushed it away when a new image appeared.

The tall, silver-haired man was stuck in a ball of water and was watching a bunch of kids the girl's age fight a scary-looking man. The look in the man's two mismatched eyes were of utter fear... but she could tell it wasn't for himself.

_'He has a kind heart,'_ she thought silently.

Another image appeared. This time it was filled with blood and sharp-looking needles. The girl was covered with them and was bleeding slightly from the wounds. She gasped when she saw the silver-haired man hold the girl close and let a tear fall from his dark gray eye.

_'He really cares about her!'_

For some reason, with this realization, a warm fluttering feeling started near her heart. It spread through out her chest and made her whole body feel light. She placed her hand over her heart in wonder.

_'What is this...?'_

She didn't get time to ponder on it when the scene changed again, this time with the man's hand on the girl's head. From her angle she could see the caring expression in his eye as he gently caressed the girl's cheek before leaving.

_'Why are you leaving her?'_

The image disappeared faster than the other ones and a new one came up. This time the girl's hair (a curious indigo color) had gotten longer and she had grown a bit... in other ways. The silver-haired man still looked the same as always though. She smiled when she saw him for some odd reason.

_'He's... funny,'_ she decided with a resolute nod.

The images started appearing and disappearing faster, leaving her with amusing and sad looks into the two's lives.

_'They're friends,' _she concluded when she saw the two eating dango in a restaurant.

Her conclusion changed however as more images flew by.

_'Lovers?'_

All the girl's ridiculously dark blushes whenever she looked into the silver-haired man's eye all pointed strongly to this fact. She couldn't help but frown when she saw her doing the same for this strange blonde boy.

_'Go for the silver man!'_ she wanted to yell.

The silver-haired man always smiled at her and gave her things. His gentle touches and amused laughs were so _loving!_

_'He loves her,_' she concluded smugly.

She turned her attention back to the newest image. Fear filled her heart as she stared at it. The silver-haired man was... he was... slumped over and blood was dripping down his face. She could tell from the way that his chest wasn't moving that he was... dead.

For some strange reason her heart started clenching painfully. Tears rolled down her face and she just couldn't stop them.

_'He... he's dead!' _she wanted to wail. How could he have died before telling the blue-haired girl that he loved her?! How could the girl not have ever noticed?! Didn't her heart speed up when she was with him? Didn't she always blush and laugh and smile when she was with him?

She watched as the image changed and the girl was hugging the silver-haired man's body to hers and crying all over his vest. She stared in interest at the way her lips were mouthing something.

_'Ka... ka... shi?...' _

"Kakashi?" she said quietly. The name rolled off her tongue and she pressed her hand to her lips hesitantly. _'Wait...'_

Her eyes widened in shock and horror.

"Kakashi!"

Memories started coming back, started flooding her. The emotions, the feelings... everything.

_She_ was the blue-haired girl. _She_ was the girl who had a crush on the blonde, yet loved... another. Did she?

And suddenly all she could see was Kakashi laughing with her, laughing at her... Kakashi giggling pervertedly as he read his books. Kakashi giving her pats on the head and small, eye-crescent smiles when he was proud of her.

Kakashi dying... Kakashi dead.

A shock of light suddenly hit her in the chest. Hinata looked down at her and gasped. Light was surrounding her and tingling sensations were tickling her body.

She was disappearing... vanishing.

Hinata closed her eyes and let it take her, hoping that... maybe... she could see Kakashi again.

_

* * *

_Sakura watched in disbelief as the toad that had been dead just seconds ago sit up and look around with an owlish blink.

"Where's little Naruto?" he asked curiously as if he hadn't just woken up from the dead.

"W-what?" gaped Lee.

The rest of Team Gai stared in shock. _'Wait! Does that mean?'_

Sakura quickly turned to Hinata and gasped. Color was returning to her cheeks and her eyes were fluttering open.

"Hinata-sama!" yelled Neji-kun hoarsely as he knelt down by her side.

"N-neji-niisan?"

Sakura had never been so happy in her life. Tears started to fall as she quickly set to work on the wound in Hinata's chest and her many bruised ribs.

"S-sakura-chan?" mumbled Hinata quietly. "W-what happened? W-where am I?"

"Hinata-chan! You're alive again!" yelled Lee joyously as he pumped his fist in the air.

"That's great," whispered Tenten as she wiped away the tears that had been staining her cheeks.

Sakura watched as the girl struggled to pull herself up. "A-alive again?" Her eyes snapped open. "How...?"

"Naruto-kun defeated Pein and Pein decided to revive everyone who died!" explained Lee.

Hinata finally got into a sitting position. The girl looked around in shock. "E-everyone?"

"Yes," said Sakura in a gentle tone.

To her surprise, after hearing that, Hinata scrambled to her feet, but swayed dizzily when she took a few steps forward.

"Calm down, Hinata-sama," said Neji in a worried tone as he grabbed her by the shoulders to steady her.

Hinata struggled out of his grip. "Everyone's alive again... That means... that means..." Sakura watched Hinata blink away tears. "Kakashi..." she whispered.

Sakura didn't know what to think. _'Kakashi?... I thought she would immediately ask how Naruto did. How... strange...'_

"Hinata-sama, there is no point in looking for Kakashi-san," said Neji in a calm tone. "He is currently helping Naruto back to the village."

Sakura gasped. _'Naruto's coming back!'_

"Let's go meet them, then!" yelled Gai as he pointed towards the forest.

"Yosh, Gai-sensei!"

Sakura quickly picked up her bag and jumped out of the area. She looked at Hinata, a bit worried about her condition (she'd just been brought back to life, after all). Sakura was slightly surprised to see her handling herself pretty well. She narrowed her eyes when she saw that her breaths were coming out labored and sharp.

_'If only I had more chakra... I only had enough to barely close the wound... I'm not sure how the bandages will hold up at this rate... And her ribs... they were bruised pretty badly.'_

Noticing her concerned gaze, Hinata sent her a soft smile. "I'm fine, Sakura-chan."

Sakura nodded her head, not at all believing her.

* * *

Hinata watched in anticipation as she looked into the trees. She suddenly noticed that Neji-niisan's byakugan was turned on.

"Do you see them, Neji-niisan?" she asked hopefully.

He nodded. "Yes, they should be arriving soon."

Hinata let a small smile grow on her lips. As the seconds ticked by, her heart's pounding started to quicken. The _ba-dumps, ba-dumps_ were getting faster, more anxious. She just had to, _had to_, see Kakashi... had to see him breathing again... laughing again... talking again...

"NARUTO! YOU'RE BACK!" chorused the first few villagers that saw him.

Hinata looked in the direction they were all starting to run in and couldn't withhold a gasp when she saw that... that familiar shock of silver hair.

And suddenly her heart beats became thunderingly loud. They resonated in her ears, deafened her to the cheers that all the villagers were suddenly yelling. Because... because...

_'Kakashi!'_

When her eyes met with his own dark one, even through the large crowd, she couldn't stop herself... couldn't hold herself back.

"H-Hinata-sama? Where are you going? Hinata-sama!?"

She ignored Neji-niisan's worried calls and ran, ran to Kakashi. When she finally got through the crowd and stood in front of the two... in front of Naruto-kun and Kakashi... she just stared into his eyes, too overjoyed to blush at the way his charcoal ones gazed intensely into hers, gazed into her soul.

"Hinata?" said Naruto-kun in a worried tone.

"Hello," she said distractedly, not even looking at him, too occupied with staring at Kakashi, memorizing the way his silver spikes fell over his headband and the way he was currently smiling gently at her.

When he raised his right hand in a small, light-hearted wave and said "Yo!" in that cheery voice of his, Hinata couldn't hold them back anymore, those annoying tears that had been threatening to fall ever since she saw him.

She lifted a hand to wipe them away, but didn't once look away from Kakashi. She was too afraid. She was afraid of opening her eyes... and finding that he wasn't there, not where he should be.

Maybe it was that thought that made her forget about wiping away her tears. And maybe it was that thought that propelled her feet forward. And _maybe _it was that thought that made her wrap her arms around him tightly, never mind the fact that her ribs were screaming in protest.

It _definitely_ wasn't that thought that made her tears fall even faster.

It was that smell of pine... and that warmness that seeped through his vest and spread through out her body. It was the way that he put his hand on her back and his other hand on her uninjured shoulder and just let her hug him...

It was the way he whispered into her ear in that low, teasing tone of his.

"I didn't know you'd miss me so much."

Hinata didn't answer him. She just pressed her face harder against his chest and let the tears flow freely.

_'He's alive! He's smiling... he's teasing me... he's... he's back.'_

"Kakashi," she choked out.

"Yes?"

She looked up and captured his dark gray eye in a soft gaze. "I don't think I can... lose you again."

"I know." He lifted his hand from her shoulder and ruffled her hair gently. "I'll try my hardest, so don't worry about it, Hinata."

Kakashi smiled down at her, his eye curving shut and his mask crinkling slightly. Hinata smiled back, feeling like her heart was going to burst with happiness and joy.

_'I can't imagine... a life without him. Without Kakashi.'_

A loud cough from behind her interrupted her thoughts. Hinata loosened her grip on Kakashi and turned around curiously

And immediately blushed a dark and brilliant red.

Behind her, the whole village was staring at them, all with varying expressions of shock, amusement, curiosity, happiness... and _were some of them blushing?_ With her sharp eyes, she saw Kiba-kun with his mouth wide open and Neji-niisan with a look of absolute fury in his eyes.

Hinata quickly let go of Kakashi and took a swift step away from him. Loud chuckles and amused laughter rang from the villagers, making her cheeks burn furiously.

_'I... this is so embarrassing!'_ thought Hinata as she covered her cheeks with her hands.

A hand ruffled her hair playfully. Hinata looked up and blushed even harder when she saw that it was Kakashi. He looked down at her with an amused glint in his eye, although it looked lazy as usual.

"You're blushing," he said simply before he dropped his hand.

Hinata didn't have anything to say to that so she just kept her mouth shut.

"You're always rushing into things, you idiot!" yelled a familiar voice. The sound of someone being punched and a yelp of pain came soon after it.

Hinata turned her head curiously and giggled as Naruto-kun rubbed his head painfully. Suddenly the person that punched him, Sakura-chan, threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. Hinata watched the scene happily, slightly relieved that everyone's eyes were off of her and Kakashi now.

After Sakura-chan let him go, Naruto-kun was grabbed and unceremoniously thrown into the air.

"Go, Naruto!"

"You're a hero!"

Hinata watched on proudly, glad that she could witness such a happy scene.

_'Naruto-kun's finally getting the praise he deserves!'_

She giggled when Naruto-kun did a flip in the air when he was thrown particularly high. When he landed into the joyous villagers arms again, he waved to Sakura-chan beside her. "Did you see that, Sakura-chan?!"

Hinata shook her head amusedly, wondering how he still had the energy to do such crazy antics.

It wasn't until she was sent to help pitch up tents for all the villagers that it occurred to her that the familiar burn of jealousy she usually felt when Naruto-kun only noticed Sakura-chan hadn't filled her at all. Feelings of jealously for the two hadn't even crossed her mind because she had been too happy celebrating with Kakashi and her and Neji-niisan's teams.

_'What... does that mean?'_

* * *

A-hem.

You guys have no idea how much I had to edit and change around. I'm tired of reading and re-reading this thing. Please excuse any mistakes or other things. I don't think I can skim over this anymore.

Well, um, what do you guys think? You guys didn't honestly think that I would kill off Kakashi and Hinata, did you? Haha. I don't think I could kill off a character without feeling guilty. Well, there is Sakura... LOL.

Anyways, thanks for everyone's reviews and encouraging words. I tried to update as soon as possible since you guys all reviewed so quickly. I love you guys :) Haha.

And I was quite frustrated with myself at the fact that Hinata _still _hasn't realized her feelings. Ok, she's getting there... but it's so slow! It's just that I don't think that she'd _want_ to admit it to herself. When you've had a fixation on one boy for practically your whole childhood and early teenage years, you really don't notice when your feelings change... But... In her death-state, she did kind of realize it, don't you guys think? Haha. Well, I sure hope she does soon, because I don't want to go past 30 chapters. I'm quite amazed that it's even made it to _twenty_ chapters. Heh.

Anyways, I'd love any and all reviews. =)


	21. Realization

Thanks for everyone's WONDERFUL reviews! You guys are amazing!

Oh, and I was so _frustrated_ when I saw that I had gotten a few reviews, but _couldn't read them!_ Ugh, thank goodness, they fixed it already! :)

Well, hope you guys enjoy!

* * *

"Here, let's place this over here!"

"Do you guys think this wood is good enough?"

"Hey, watch where you're going, idiot!"

Hinata groaned as loud voices broke through her rather amusing dreams. She rolled over and slowly raised herself up to rest on her knees. She blinked at the light that filtered in from the cracks in the small tent. With a soft yawn, she stood up and grabbed some toiletries before getting out of her tent.

A loud yell was suddenly shouted as the air hissed menacingly from her left. Hinata's byakugan activated instantly and her eyes widened when saw that a swinging log was heading for her at a disturbingly fast rate. She quickly side-stepped the threat to her life and turned her head to look at the man who had thrown it.

A brown-haired man scratched the back of his head sheepishly and yelled a loud apology. Hinata nodded, not really having been in danger in the first place, and headed for the small stream that flowed through the forest.

As she neared it, she felt a familiar chakra signature at the edge of it. Hinata activated her byakugan and smiled when she saw that it was Kurenai-sensei.

"Good morning, Hinata," greeted her sensei as she stood up awkwardly from where she had been sitting.

Hinata quickly rushed to her side and helped up her pregnant teacher. "Kurenai-sensei! Should you really be sitting out here alone? You're only weeks away from giving birth!"

Her sensei turned to her with a tired face. "Please, Hinata, I may be heavily pregnant, but I'm not some crippled woman, am I?" Hinata nodded, appropriately admonished. "Besides, I was just sitting here. Those nurses have other people to treat and can't be spending all their time on a pregnant woman, can they?"

"If you say so, sensei," muttered Hinata. She released her sensei's arm and kneeled down at the edge of the stream to wash her face.

"How are you?" asked Kurenai-sensei in a low voice.

Hinata looked up from drying her face with a surprised look.

"What do you mean, Kurenai-sensei?"

Her sensei stared at her with a caring gaze. "How are you feeling... after witnessing Kakashi's death... and coming back from the dead?"

"Oh." Hinata carefully wiped away the stray droplets that fell off her chin with her towel and folded it up perfectly before answering. "I'm fine."

Her sensei walked up to her and sat down slowly next to her. Hinata watched her sit down and shifted her body to make sure that she could catch her sensei if she suddenly fell. Kurenai-sensei's sharp eyes caught her movement and she smiled. Hinata looked away with a light blush, slightly embarrassed at being caught.

"Hinata." She looked up at her sensei curiously. "Witnessing someone's death like that... it can cause serious mental trauma." Hinata opened her mouth, ready to protest, but was stopped with Kurenai-sensei's hand. Her sensei smiled at her before continuing. "I know, Hinata... that this time around everyone was lucky. It was great that all that died got to come back to life again... but other times... we might not be so lucky."

"I know, sensei," said Hinata softly.

Kurenai-sensei nodded before grabbing one of Hinata's hand to hold in hers. Hinata quietly noted that her teacher's hand was shaking slightly. From what, she had no idea.

"If you had died," said her sensei in a quiet voice, "I don't know what I would have done."

Hinata sat there in shock as a slow tear traveled down her sensei's cheek. Kurenai-sensei looked directly into her eyes and smiled gently.

"Hinata, you and this child," her sensei placed a hand over her stomach, "have been keeping me together these past few months after... Asuma's death. To lose him and you... in such a short span of time... I'm not sure if I could have gone on."

Hinata took in her sensei's trembling words silently.

"Kurenai-sensei," she said softly. Her sensei looked at her curiously as she wiped away her tear. "You have so much people here... who are expecting you to carry on your child... Asuma-san's child." Hinata smiled gently. "Kiba-kun, Shino-kun, Shikamaru-kun... They're there for you, sensei... If I die... and have to meet your baby wherever I go... I don't think I could rest in peace." Hinata took her hand out of Kurenai-sensei's ever-tightening grasp and held it in hers. "So, please... if anything ever happens to me, be strong and live for your child's sake."

Hinata watched as Kurenai-sensei took in a deep, shuddering breath before smiling heart-breakingly. "You're right, Hinata. Thank you."

"I'm glad." Hinata smiled before standing and helping up her sensei.

The way back to the tents was much more enjoyable with Kurenai-sensei along, realized Hinata as she watched her sensei point out all the different plant types with a cheery grin and bubbly laughter. Hinata wasn't quite sure if she should be happy that Kurenai-sensei wasn't in a depressing mood anymore or scared that she could switch moods so fast.

"You know, Hinata," said her sensei in a sly voice, making Hinata instantly stand on guard. "I heard something interesting the other day." Her sensei's ruby eyes met her pale ones before she casually looked away. Hinata furrowed her brow in confusion at the strange way her teacher was acting. "The two kunoichi who helped set up my tent were gushing about how 'cute' it was that the disowned Hyuuga heiress instantly jumped into the 'mysterious' Copy Nin's arms when he came back from helping the 'hot' hero."

Hinata blushed darkly at her sensei's words and remembered the embarrassing stares and looks she had gotten from the villagers that day when she hugged Kakashi. She snuck a quick glance at her sensei and almost slapped her palm to her forehead when she saw the knowing smirk on her teacher's face.

_'Kurenai-sensei has too much fun teasing me!'_ thought Hinata in exasperation.

"I-I have no idea what you're t-talking about." Hinata inwardly cursed her stuttering and sunk into a pit of despair when she saw the brilliant smile on her sensei's face.

"Really?" asked her sensei in a light tone. "But the two kunoichi said that the girl's indigo hair definitely went well with the striking silver hair that the Copy Nin has." Her sensei tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I wonder... indigo hair? Hmm, I don't see that around too much... I guess since it's not you, another girl must be hugging Kakashi these days..."

Hinata wrung her hands together, inwardly wondering just what she had done to deserve this. Another side of her, however, wondered if maybe... Kakashi did have another important person in his life. An important... woman.

_'I... that...'_ Her heart thudded painfully as she considered this. Hinata placed a heart over her hand in wonder. _'Why...?'_

"Did you know, Hinata?" spoke Kurenai-sensei, totally oblivious to Hinata's inner turmoil. "They said that the way the girl held on so tightly to 'Kakashi-sempai as she buried her tears of relief into his hard, muscled chest while he held her in a warm embrace' was just so adorable."

Hinata's eyes widened as she spluttered out random phrases, forgetting all about her earlier thoughts. A burning blush found its way to her cheeks and lit them up in a bright red.

_'Th-that... that's so embarrassing!'_

* * *

Kakashi walked through the streets with an unhurried air about him. As he ambled along, he took careful notice of all the damage Konoha had taken during Pein's invasion.

_'It's going to take awhile to get Konoha back to the way it was,'_ he thought to himself before turning his attention back to his book. There really was nothing he could do right now, only take as many missions as he could to help keep up the image that Konoha was doing fine, really, thank you very much.

It was too bad that none of the other villages believed them.

As Kakashi walked through the village, he occasionally lent a hand or two to help clear away the rubble and broken remains of destroyed buildings. At the end of his walk, if one could call it that, he was met with a strange but welcome sight.

"Oh... Tazuna-san. You guys came?"

The bridge-builder, who looked older than when Kakashi last saw him, turned to him with a broad grin. "Kakashi-sensei! I was looking forward to seeing you as well!"

A dark-haired kid next to him grinned up at him. Kakashi opened his eye as he took in the familiar features. "Eh? You've grown, Inari."

Inari nodded. "Yup."

"Hmm," murmured Tazuna as he stared at him. Kakashi stared back, wondering what he wanted. "How is Kurenai and her team doing?"

Naruto grinned. "Kurenai's pregnant, can you believe that?"

Kakashi watched in mild amusement as the bridge-builder dropped his jaw in shock. "K-Kurenai-sensei? Who's the f-father?"

"You didn't know him, but he was a super great ninja," said Naruto with a sad look in his eye. Tazuna and Inari both quieted and kept a respectable silence at the past tense.

The quiet was broken with Sakura's quick words. "Her team is headed by Kakashi-sensei these days, actually." A sly look crossed her face but it passed swiftly. Kakashi caught it though and eyed his student suspiciously. "It seems like Kakashi's actually a good sensei to them. Hinata's gotten a lot stronger due to training with Kakashi-sensei." Her and Naruto shared a look before bursting into tear-filled laughter.

"What? What's so funny?" asked Inari curiously as he stared at them. Kakashi wasn't sure he wanted to know.

Sakura wiped away a tear gleefully. "It's just that... Kakashi-sensei and Hinata have gotten really close lately. Ne, Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi looked between his two students' joyful eyes, Inari's confused gaze, and Tazuna's amused face before sighing. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Sakura." He said it nonchalantly and boredly, but inwardly he was wondering if his heart was beating a little _too _fast.

"Uh-huh." Naruto put a hand over his mouth and whispered into Inari's ear. Naruto's words, being the loudmouth he was, was heard quite clearly if only slightly muffled. "I'll tell you about it later. It's pretty juicy stuff, though."

Kakashi resisted the urge to murder his student right then and there and smiled thinly.

"Maybe we should have a group training session today," he said with barely-hidden glee. Sadistic glee, that is.

Kakashi was satisfied to see a shiver run down Naruto and Sakura's backs.

"Uh..."

"Hey," said Tazuna, interrupting the moment. "Now that I think about it, where's Sasuke? I've been wanting to talk to him too."

_'Oh...'_

Kakashi turned to look at Naruto and Sakura and wasn't surprised to see them with distraught expressions on their faces. Deciding to have mercy on them, he spoke up. "Sasuke's go-"

"Me and Sasuke got into a fight. He left but I'm going to get him back!" said Naruto with a smile on his face. Kakashi rubbed the back of his head, wondering how the boy found the strength to say things like that.

"Oh, ok, then," said Tazuna before he patted Inari's back. "We're going to go do what we came here for now. See you guys later!"

"Bye, Naruto, Sakura!" Inari waved to them before following after his grandpa.

Kakashi watched the two say their goodbyes before deciding to find out whether or not the memorial stone was still intact or not.

"Later, you two."

With that said, Kakashi made his way out of there. He smiled slightly when he heard Naruto's surprised shout. He jumped through the trees, but felt a different chakra signature approaching Naruto and Sakura. Kakashi stopped when he realized it was Kiba and focused his hearing on what the three teenagers were talking about.

"...been dismissed as Hokage!"

"What?!"

"Yeah, and the sixth Hokage is some guy called Danzo."

_'Danzo? Oh no... I've got a bad feeling about this...'_

Danzo as Hokage could only mean one thing: Sasuke's death.

_'Naruto... What will you do now?'_

_

* * *

_

Hinata wasn't sure why, but her feet were traveling down the familiar winding path to the memorial stone. She supposed that it probably had something to do with the burning desire to see Kakashi in her heart right now, but she didn't know _why._

_'I guess... the only thing to do is see him...'_

As she neared their usual meeting place, a feeling of excitement and anxiety grew in her. Excitement because she would get to see Kakashi; anxiety because she hadn't talked to him since that embarrassing incident in front of the whole village.

_'What... will I say?'_ she asked herself worriedly.

Hinata walked slowly up the path and was relieved to see that no one was there. She was also happy to see that the memorial stone hadn't been destroyed, it was just dusty. She eyed the dustiness and nodded resolutely before grabbing a rag she had been carrying after cleaning some precious valuables in the Hyuuga compound. Making handseals for a jutsu, she doused the stone in a cleansing water and wiped it down carefully.

As she worked, she hummed a slow tune that had been stuck in her head the whole day. She carefully took in each and everyone's names carved into the black rock. Her eyes prickled with sad tears as she went over familiar ones.

Gekkou Hayate. Sarutobi Asuma. Jiraiya.

She gently brushed her fingers against the name of the person who's eye was currently implanted in Kakashi's.

Uchiha Obito.

"I see that you're cleaning it off. That's thoughtful."

The familiar voice made her jump up. She only barely managed to avoid reaching into her kunai pouch to throw some kunai in a honed and practiced reflex.

"K-Kakashi!"

The silver-haired jounin lifted a hand in greeting. "Yo."

Hinata felt her heart speed up at the familiar gesture. She blushed when she remembered what had happened the last time he did that.

"Hello," she muttered before turning her attention back to the stone. She scrubbed furiously at the more stubborn dirt marks, wanting to leave the stone in a shiny, clean state after she was done with it.

Hinata sighed in relief as she swiped the rag one last time along the top.

"I'm done," she said cheerfully.

"Great job, Hinata. It looks squeaky clean."

"Arigatou."

She stood up stiffly and turned to face Kakashi. She blinked when she saw the amused glint in his eye as he looked at her, the book in his hand forgotten for the moment.

"Yes?" she asked hesitantly.

Kakashi shook his head. "Nothing." He turned his attention back to the book with a grin in his eye. "It's just that it's nice to see you without your jacket every once in a while."

Hinata blushed a furious red at his wayward comment and subtly hugged herself, trying to hide herself in her arms since her jacket wasn't there to do it for her. She shifted uncomfortably, slightly relieved at the fact that Kakashi had his attention on his book. It wasn't like he hadn't seen her without her jacket before, but normally she had on something more... covering.

She looked down at her fishnet top that had a black tanktop underneath it and mentally berated herself for not wearing something more suitable for public. Of course, she usually had her jacket covering her revealing shirt, but what with it covered in her blood and having a hole ripped in it, it really wasn't that suitable to be worn right now. Plus, she couldn't go out and buy a new one since everyone was working so hard on rebuilding Konoha.

"Would you like me to lend you a jacket?" asked Kakashi.

Hinata swore she could detect the smallest hint of teasing in his voice, but his offer was too good to resist.

"I... If it wouldn't bother you, Kakashi," she said quietly.

His book shut with a loud snap and he looked at her sheepishly.

"I don't have jackets, actually. But I've got this."

After saying that, he shrugged off his vest and handed it to her. Hinata blushed a dark red as she realized what he'd meant. She looked at the proffered article of clothing and at the way Kakashi was holding himself. His body was rigid and his arm was held just a little too straight. _'He looks... tense.'_

Realizing that offering his vest was actually a first for him, Hinata took it and smiled brightly at him.

"Arigatou, Kakashi," she said, hoping to convey her gratitude towards him.

The man nodded before adjusting his black, long-sleeved shirt with a strange uncomfortable look in his eye. Hinata put on the vest and blushed when she realized that it was still warm. _'B-because of Kakashi?'_ Hinata's blush darkened when she realized just what that meant and decided to ignore that particular thought. She zipped it up and saw that it hung loosely over her, a couple sizes too big.

_'It's really big,'_ she mused. _'Especially on the shoulders.'_

It hung off her shoulders limply and covered the upper portion of her arm and shoulder. Hinata briefly wondered why. She got her answer when she looked up and saw Kakashi's broad shoulders and long back. For some reason, a blush rapidly colored her cheeks, brighter than her other one. Her heart was thumping just a bit too fast, she realized.

_'I shouldn't be thinking like this...'_

_

* * *

_

Kakashi had to bite his lip to stop himself from smiling like an idiot as he watched Hinata put on his vest.

_'She really is too beautiful for her own good.'_

With her cheeks slightly pink from whatever was going around in her head (Kakashi'd like to think that it was from wearing his vest), her eyes shining brightly, and the way the sun was hitting her hair just right, Hinata looked like a breath-taking goddess.

Kakashi thought that the fact that she was wearing _his_ vest also added to her amazing beauty. The way it hung so loosely around her shoulders and fell past her hips made her look like a sexy nymph. Kakashi briefly wondered what she would look like wearing a few of his other shirts...

He shook his head and tried to clear up his inappropriate thoughts. _'She's still too young, Kakashi.'_

"Kakashi, I should probably get going." He turned to look at Hinata and met her pearly Hyuuga eyes. He was slightly amused to see a bright blush stain her cheeks before she quickly looked away. "T-thank you for letting me borrow your vest. I'll make sure to return it to you as soon as possible... Umm... Bye!"

He chuckled to himself as he watched her leave the area, remembering the last time they had met here, she'd fled the area with a burning blush as well. He inhaled slightly and smiled when the sweet scent of lilacs filled his senses.

_'I really do love her, don't I?'_

* * *

Hinata wasn't quite sure what to do or say as she walked past the hard-working villagers and shinobi. She only blushed furiously when she happened to see the knowing smirks on their faces or the wistful looks in some of the women's eyes. She patted down Kakashi's vest embarrassedly but kept her eyes ahead and focused on _why_ exactly she was wearing his vest and not on the way his vest had his fresh pine scent and was well-worn to the point that the seams were coming out...

As she walked past the broken dango shop, a light wind blew at her. The fresh scent of pine tickled her nose as it blew on Kakashi's vest. _'Kakashi smells so good,'_ thought Hinata as she inhaled his scent deeply. She blushed at her stray thought and resolved to not think about his vest. It eventually broke when she crossed her arms and realized that his vest was super soft. _'He must use a good fabric softener... I need to ask him what he uses.'_

Hinata's steps faltered as she realized just what she had thought. _'Stop thinking about Kakashi's vest!'_ she berated herself. _'But...'_ She looked down at the vest hopelessly. She couldn't stop thinking about it because... it was... _Kakashi's._ She very rarely ever saw him without it and that was only when she was at his apartment. Him allowing _her _to wear it was... was... such an honor.

She blushed at her strange thought. _'It's just Kakashi's. If Shino-kun or Kiba-kun lent me their jackets I wouldn't even be thinking about them this much!'_

A random thought popped up in her mind. _'What if it was Naruto-kun's?'_

Hinata shook her head before she lifted a hand to her lips in shock.

_'My heart's not beating faster...'_ She placed a hand over her heart in wonder. She thought back to her recent memories of Naruto-kun and... and realized that... _'I... I don't get jealous of Sakura-chan anymore. And... my heart doesn't beat that fast around him... W-what does this mean?'_

A loud voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Ehh? Hinata?!"

Hinata looked behind her and gasped lightly when she saw that it was Naruto-kun.

"H-hello, Naruto-kun," she said softly, still reeling from her thoughts.

A big cheery grin grew on Naruto's face as he silently appraised her outfit. "Isn't that Kakashi-sensei's vest?"

Hinata blushed darkly at his words and hugged herself. "Umm, yes... He let me borrow it."

"Ahah! Kakashi-sensei?! Really?" Hinata watched on embarrassedly as Naruto-kun clutched his sides in laughter. When he finally got a hold on himself, he looked at her with a serious look on his face. "I'm glad."

"W-what?" she asked, totally confused by the sincerity and warmth in his voice.

Naruto-kun's bright blue eyes stared intently into hers. Hinata silently noted that her heart wasn't beating like it normally did. For a second, as she looked into his eyes, a single dark eye replaced them and she had to hold back the small smile that threatened to take over her lips.

"I'm glad," he repeated, "that you're there... for Kakashi-sensei."

Hinata was utterly shocked at his sincere words. She couldn't say anything, couldn't think of anything to reply back with. Only a single word escaped the confines of her lips.

"Why?"

Naruto-kun smiled a genuine smile as he rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Kakashi-sensei's always been kind of aloof and distant to Team 7, but when he's with you, he's always laughing and teasing you." Hinata blushed at his words. Naruto-kun grinned at her reaction before continuing. "I've never seen him so open with anyone. Really, Hinata... you're a special person to him... and I'd bet all my ramen coupons that he's a special person to you too."

Hinata took in his words carefully, processing them, memorizing them. Everything he was saying... they were all true... weren't they?

"I was really surprised when you hugged him, though, Hinata." Naruto-kun's loud voice broke through her thoughts. Hinata blushed at his laughing tone. He grinned and continued. "I was totally confused, but when Sakura-chan hugged me, I got it." His grin grew as his sharp blue eyes lightened. "You love him!"

"W-w-what?!"

Naruto-kun laughed loudly at her stammered question. Hinata took no notice, though, too busy rolling his words around.

_''You love him!' What? What?!'_ She looked at Naruto-kun, wondering if it was a joke. The way his blue eyes stared into hers, though... and the seriousness on his face... _'He's serious...'_

"W-what makes you say t-that, Naruto-kun?" she managed to stutter out.

"I... I'm actually not good at this kind of stuff. Sakura-chan was supposed to talk to you..." He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. He looked at her and a slow foxy grin replaced the sheepishness. "Hinata, you and Kakashi-sensei are two of my precious people. I usually don't notice things like this, but every time I see you two together, I get a strange feeling from you two... It... It's like... when I see one of you without the other, it just looks _wrong_." His cerulean eyes gazed intently into hers before he looked away and at the setting sun. "I've gotta go now, I've gotta meet Sai and Sakura-chan, Hinata. Sorry, I can't explain it that great, I'm kind of busy..." A distraught expression replaced his features. "Sasuke's been slated as a missing-nin."

Hinata gasped. "Oh, no!" she breathed.

Naruto-kun nodded grimly. "Yeah. I'm going to go and try to convince the Kages not to kill him. I..." He looked at her sadly. "I know that... he hurt you that day when he left. He hurt Sakura-chan too... but... I can't just give up on him, Hinata."

Hinata felt tears start to appear in her eyes at the desperate tone in his voice. She smiled in what she hoped was a comforting way and spoke. "Naruto-kun, I understand. Sasuke-san is a precious person to you as well, even if he left you." She blinked away her tears and looked the blonde directly in the eyes. "If I can help in any way, please... just ask. You are one of my precious people and I'll help you in whatever way you need. The Hyuuga influence is hard to fight, even if I am the disowned heiress."

To her surprise, Naruto-kun turned his head to the side and casually wiped his eyes. "T-thanks, Hinata. You have no idea what that means to me," he said in a rough voice.

Hinata smiled softly at his show of emotions and bowed. "Good luck... Naruto."

Naruto's head snapped up at his name. Hinata bit her lip, wondering if maybe calling him without a suffix was wrong. She was relieved to see a huge grin replace his watery eyes. "Hey, that's the first time you ever said my name without a suffix! Thanks, Hinata!"

Hinata nodded and murmured her goodbye. She... she needed to see someone.

_'Love... him? Kakashi...?'_

_

* * *

_

Naruto watched Hinata walk away with a cheesy grin on his face. _'What would I do without Hinata?'_ he asked himself wonderingly.

Every time he needed support, a piece of advice, or even just a pat on the back, Hinata was always there to give it to him. She was just that type of person. Hinata really was one of his closest and most precious friends.

_'Kakashi-sensei sure hit jackpot,'_ he thought with a smile. _'But I'll always have Sakura-chan...'_

His smile drifted away as his thoughts wandered to darker places. How could he even be so selfish to love her when he hadn't kept his promise?

_'Sasuke... I'll bring you back... because I promised.'_

_

* * *

_

Neji walked through the tent area with a throbbing headache. _'Damn Gai and Lee for being so damn loud,' _he grumbled to himself angrily. He could still hear the sounds of their over-enthusiastic cries and proclamations of "Youth!" ringing in his ears.

As he passed the third long row of tents, he saw a welcome sight.

"Hinata-sama," he greeted.

She turned to him with a slightly surprised expression on her face. "Neji-niisan?"

"How are you, Hinata-sama?" he asked politely. His eyes took in her tired features and dirty capris before registering that his precious cousin was wearing... another man's vest. His eyes narrowed dangeriously. "Where did you get th-?" A sudden thought occured to him. "Is that _Kakashi-san's?_"

Hinata blushed darkly before replying. "M-my jacket has a hole in it... and it's covered in my blood... so Kakashi lent me his."

_'Oh.'_ His mind conjured up the image of her lying on the ground, her blood leaking out from the chakra rod, her not breathi-.

"I see," he muttered to himself. Hinata bit her lips nervously. Neji's sharp eyes caught her nervous movement and they narrowed. "Are you alright, Hinata-sama?"

"I'm fine," she answered with a weak smile. "I'm just... looking for Kurenai-sensei. Have you seen her, Neji-niisan?"

"I saw her earlier with Kiba and Shino while they were taking a break from repairing the village." He stared at her when a small giggle escaped her lips. "Is there something funny?"

His cousin shook her head. "No, nothing." A small smile still played at her lips though. Neji eyed her suspiciously but decided not to question her.

It was quiet for a moment as both just stood there in silence. Neji replayed Hinata's words over and over in his head, wondering why something felt amiss.

A horrifying thought filled his mind as he thought of why Hinata usually blushed.

"Naruto?" he whispered hollowly.

Hinata's eyes snapped up and she stared at him curiously. "What?"

"C-could it be that... you need to talk to Kurenai about... Naruto?" he asked hoarsely. Images of an orange jumpsuit and blonde hair filled his mind and a sudden blood-lust grew in him.

A loud giggle broke through his blood-thirsty thoughts. Neji looked at his cousin in amazement as she giggled into her hand.

"N-Neji-niisan... Why would I need to talk to Kurenai-sensei about Naruto?" she asked with a wide smile.

Neji looked away from her bright eyes, too frustrated that his theory was wrong to look abashed. _'If it's not Naruto, then who is it...'_ His eyes turned sharply towards Hinata to observe the vest she had borrowed from Kakashi. It hung loosely around her and really made her look even more beautiful (he ground his teeth as he wondered just _who_ had dared look at his precious cousin today in her alluring outfit). His mind's eye recalled the fact that she had blushed when he asked her if it was Kaka-Oh no!

"Y-you... Kakashi?!" he spluttered out, half-mad, half-shocked. Since when did his little cousin get over her crush for the blonde?

His lust for someone's blood grew when he saw a light blush stain Hinata's cheeks. _'Kakashi? Kakashi?!'_

With his realization came troublesome memories he'd tried to block out these past few days. Her waking up from the dead and immediately asking for Kakashi... her looking intently into the forest for the return of the village's hero and his teacher... He'd thought that she had been looking for Naruto and had assumed that the way her eyes lit up when they exited the forest was from seeing her crush. However, this proven wrong since she immediately ran to Kakashi and threw her arms around him. Seeing her hug Kakashi so tightly had evoked a furious anger in him. What was his cousin doing, hugging a man?! Didn't she know they were dangerous, dangerous creatures?

But... why was it that his cousin was smiling to tenderly even with a blush staining her cheeks? Why did just hearing Kakashi's name make her so happy?

"Do you love him?"

Screw Jyuuken, Neji felt like punching a hole through the nearest person when he saw a happy light appear in her eyes and the way her cheeks rapidly darkened at his question.

"You love him."

"I... don't know, Neji-niisan."

His cousin's soft voice saying those words should've made him a happy, happy overprotective cousin, and they _did_, but... why did he feel a bit... disappointed?

Maybe it was this disappointment that made him speak, made him ask.

"Are you sure you do not know, Hinata-sama?"

* * *

"Do you love him?" asked her cousin bluntly.

Hinata blushed brightly at his question. Why did everyone automatically assume she did?

_'Does it seem that way?'_

"You love him."

She blushed at the way he dully said that.

"I... don't know, Neji-niisan."

Her older cousin was quiet for a moment. Hinata chanced a glance at him and was surprised to see him frowning slightly.

"Are you sure you do not know, Hinata-sama?"

Hinata had to look away from Neji-niisan's piercing gaze. _'I don't... know.'_

"Loving someone, Hinata-sama... I don't have much experience with this sort of thing." He spoke his next words hesitantly. "But I do know that when one is happiest just being with that person, that is called love." He placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled. "Hinata-sama. You are asking youself whether or not you love him, but... I am sure you already know the answer."

He let go of her shoulder and bowed. "Good night, Hinata-sama. Even if I hate to admit it, I want you to be happy. So... I wish you happiness with Kakashi-san."

Hinata watched her over-protective, suspicious, potential suitor-scaring, always stoic cousin leave with a light feeling in her heart. She placed a hand over her heart tremblingly. _'Kakashi...'_ Her heart skipped a beat at his name. She blushed darkly at her reaction.

Neji-niisan's words echoed in her mind and rang loudly, convincingly.

_"I do know that when one is happiest just being with that person, that is called love."_

Hinata thought back to all her times with Kakashi. Her laughing with Kakashi, training with him, eating with him, just sitting comfortably in each other's presence...

_'Always... when I am with Kakashi, I am always happy.'_

The reality of those words made her eyes widen in shock. Images of Kakashi and her meeting at the memorial stone, eating out at restaurants, teasing each other silly during training sessions...

And... seeing him shed a tear when she'd seemingly died during her first C-rank mission.

She gasped. _'Where did I see that?'_

Her mind flitted through strange memories from her past. Kakashi training her that first day at the memorial stone... Kakashi ruffling her hair before leaving the hospital room... Her blushing whenever she saw him...

That tall, funny, silver-haired man.

A hand flew up to her mouth in shock. _'W-when I died... I was in a strange dreamscape. I remember now.'_

It all suddenly became clear, those strange memories of hers. Her eyes dropped when she remembered the last few images shown. Kakashi dying... and her hugging him desperately.

"Kakashi," she whispered. This time her heart leaped pleasantly as a blush stained her cheeks.

_"You are asking yourself whether or not you love him, but... I am sure you already know the answer."_

Hinata turned around to look at the direction her cousin had left in with a small smile on her lips.

_'Thank you, Neji-niisan.'_

_

* * *

_

Hmm... I don't know what to say actually.

I'd love to see what you guys think about this chapter though. Please don't hesitate to leave a review :)


	22. Safe Returns

Thank you for everyone's wonderful reviews! I'm hitting 200 soon, you guys! I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would ever reach that point, and it's all thanks to you guys. I loveee you all! :)

I'm really glad that so many of you guys enjoy it and I'm even more glad to receive reviews that tell me what I did well or need to work on. Thank you so much. So I really hope you guys like this chapter, even if there's not much KakaHina.

* * *

_Hinata scanned the area warily. Her eyes took in the various scattered kunai and blood splatters. It looked like a furious battle had taken place just minutes earlier. She hesitantly took a few steps closer, wondering just who had been partaking in this fight. Fearing for any of her close teammates, her pace quickened. _

_A trail of blood led through a thick overgrown path in the woods. She eyed the blood with dread and broke into a quick sprint, raising her guard as she went. At the end of the path, a bright light broke through a large gap in the trees. Hinata walked into the clearing cautiously. Her eyes traveled down the large trail of blood. As she reached the end of it, a familiar fear welled up in her. _

_Lying in a heap on the ground was Kakashi. Hinata took in his blood-stained body and his weak limbs with horror. She quickly rushed to his side to administer emergency first aid. _

_Suddenly sensing a threat from above, she swiftly side-stepped the attack and landed lightly in front of Kakashi. Her byakugan instantly activating, she turned her attention to her attacker… and gasped. _

"_Sasuke-san!"_

_Blood red Sharingan eyes stared into hers with contempt. _

"_Hyuuga."_

_Hinata looked at him warily, remembering their last encounter. She took in his dusty appearance and noticed that there was a gaping hole in his shoulder. She gasped when she recognized the familiar tattered ends around the hole. _

_It was Kakashi's Raikiri technique._

_Suddenly Hinata became aware of the fact that Sasuke's katana was covered in blood. Kakashi's blood._

_A burning anger filled her as she took in this fact. "You!" she hissed. _

_The Uchiha in front of her merely smirked at her anger. He lazily lifted his katana up and turned to look at her, his Sharingan tomoe swiveling. _

"_Yes, I killed Kakashi." _

_Without any warning, he disappeared at a frightening speed and appeared behind her before she could blink._

"_And you're next," he whispered into her ear. "Hinata…"_

_The feeling of cold steel pressed against her neck and suddenly her warm blood was spilling around he-_

Hinata's eyes snapped open. A hand flew up to her neck fearfully. She exhaled in relief when she saw that it was unmarked.

"It was a dream," she murmured.

Even with her realization, her heart wouldn't stop beating rapidly and her breathing wouldn't slow down in the slightest. Heaving in air thirstily, she stood up and pulled on her new jacket and a pair of dark capris.

'_Maybe some water will help.'_

She walked to the kitchen silently, her eyes constantly flickering nervously at the passing shadows. By the time she made it to the kitchen, her senses were all on high alert and her ninja paranoia was tickling the nape of her neck. Hinata held it back, though.

'_It was just a dream,'_ she told herself firmly. _'I can't let this affect me.'_

The way her hands shook as she reached up to grab a cup from the counter told her that words wouldn't calm her down anytime soon. She sighed and got herself some water.

Hinata sat at the kitchen table and just stared at the cup in her hand, her thirstiness suddenly gone. Her mind wandered around random topics, but the horrifying dream still loomed in her mind.

Blood everywhere. Battle-worn areas. The immense feel of chakra in the air.

Kakashi covered in bright red blood, still warm from the opened wounds.

Hinata drew in a shaky breath. She quickly let go of her cup when she saw that the thick glass was starting to crack from her tight grasp. She poured out the water and set the cup on the counter before grabbing her sandals and slipping out the door.

The fresh air of early morning filled her senses. A small smile made its way to her lips as she jumped over the newly-built rooftops, relishing the distraction whooshing wind and intense jumping provided. She waved to a stall-owner setting up early with a happy smile before setting her eyes on the location on where she was heading.

The memorial stone.

Hinata's last few leaps made her land directly in front of it. She straightened her crouched knees and stood up. She combed a hand through her tangled hair as she stared at the stone. Her breathing slowed and her body relaxed into a comfortable position that still allowed her to move at a moment's notice. It was something Kakashi had taught her…

Her heart thumped painfully at the reminder of her teacher… friend… best friend… and something else that made her cheeks blush brightly and heart pound faster.

She placed a hand over her heart and closed her eyes. The light from the morning sun shined weakly on her back and birds chirped happily around her, all announcing the start of another beautiful day… another day without the return of Kakashi and Naruto.

Hinata ignored the painful pang in her heart at the thought of Kakashi. Instead she thought of how long he'd been gone. It'd been a month and a half since Kakashi, Naruto, and Yamato-taichou had left to convince the Five Kages to change their minds about Sasuke. Hinata hadn't gotten a chance to properly talk to Kakashi since he'd left so quickly. The only thing she could do was wish him luck and hope that he came back safely.

'_Kakashi… Wherever you are, I pray that you're safe.'_

With her senses heightened from closing her eyes, she heard the familiar sound of Kiba-kun and Akamaru's fast-approaching steps and pants from afar. It was another few minutes before they arrived, though.

"Hinata!" yelled the loud voice of Kiba-kun.

Hinata opened her eyes and turned to face her teammates. "Good morning, Kiba-kun, Akamaru." She took in Kiba-kun's harsh pants with trepidation. "What's wrong, Kiba-kun?"

Her brown-haired teammate spoke up quickly. "Naruto's returned!"

Hinata gasped. _'Kakashi!'_

"With K-, with his team?" she asked hopefully.

Her heart dropped painfully when she saw the swift shake of Kiba-kun's head.

"No, with _Sasuke!_"

Shocked beyond words, Hinata could only clap a hand to her lips mutely, her mind racing a mile a minute. _'Sasuke? Uchiha Sasuke? How? But… where's Kakashi?'_

"Naruto brought Sasuke back, but they're both beat up pretty bad." Kiba-kun shook his head sadly. "I heard all this from Yamato-taichou outside the hospital, but I could still smell the strong stench of blood."

Hinata's eyes widened. Both were seriously injured?!

"Oh no…"

Kiba-kun looked at her. "Yeah, it's horrible. I just thought I'd tell you, since you know..." He shifted his feet nervously and looked away. "Anyways, I'm going to head back to the hospital. You coming, Hinata?"

Hinata nodded her head, worried about her precious friend's condition. She followed after Kiba-kun's furious pace anxiously, and ignored the painful pounds of her heart that resonated within her as she wondered… wondered just where Kakashi was. Images of Kakashi's body broken, blood-stained…

'_No,'_ Hinata shook those thoughts away. _'Wherever Kakashi is, he's got to be safe.'_

* * *

Sasuke heard muffled gasps and muttered warnings from the people above him. He groaned dully and winced when someone prodded one of the more painful wounds.

'_I'm back in Konoha, huh?'_

For some reason, the intense feelings of anger that usually overcame him when he thought of the lying, filthy village didn't fill him. Only a dull ache in his heart could be felt.

Sasuke squeezed his eyes shut as he felt his torn skin being healed. The person's healing chakra sent surprising tingles down his arm. Sasuke inwardly cursed allowing Naruto to break through his defense to land a powerful Rasengan on him.

Naruto. That blond-haired idiot... that might just be one of the closest people to him. His furious words as he fought him came back to Sasuke.

"_Sasuke. I understand what you mean now when you told me what it felt like to have your family members killed. Ero-sennin… Ero-sennin died fighting Pein for the village's sake… Sasuke… I understand you now. Will you understand me? Will you understand what I'm fighting for? It's for you, Sasuke-teme!"_

Naruto's words had made his guard slightly slip, allowing Naruto to clip his arm with that stupid Rasengan of his.

'_Damn it.'_

It looked like even after betraying the village and working under another traitor wasn't enough for this stupid village to spite him and kill him. Hate him, yes, but not enough to actually want him to leave and be gone.

A familiar yell from a room nearby made the nurses jerk their hands. One narrowly missed impaling him with a needle. Sasuke frowned.

The dobe yelled again, this time with a more whiny hint to it.

"Come on, Sakura-chan! Don't hit me! I've already got all these wounds from Sasuke-teme!"

Sasuke was surprised to feel a bit of… guilt? He winced when one of the nurses ripped off his shirt, an entirely too eager look on her face. The guilt or whatever it was went away quickly and was replaced with a feeling of dread.

Despite feeling his village was foolish to even treat his wounds, Sasuke couldn't help but feel that warmth… that warmth that made its way to his heart slowly.

'_Konoha hasn't changed a bit.'_

* * *

Hinata supposed it was natural to feel stressed and anxious as she paced in the hospital's waiting area. It probably wasn't natural to feel a bit disappointed, though.

'_Kakashi… Kakashi… Kakashi!'_

His name rolled around in her head, making her more anxious. Just where was he? Yamato-taichou was here, Naruto was here, heck, even Sasuke was here! So where in the world could he be?

Hinata bit at her lip worriedly, wishing that Kiba-kun or Akamaru was here. Their boisterous personalities would help calm her down so much. But the two had left hours ago to help Kiba-kun's sister at the animal hospital. That left her alone to worry and pace for Naruto and Sasuke. A faint yell could be heard from where she was standing.

She started pacing again, her hands now wringing together harshly. She prayed for Naruto and Sasuke's wounds and hoped that their injuries would heal quickly.

'_Sasuke…'_

Her terrifying dream from earlier came and clouded her mind. A chilling feeling flooded her body, made her feel weak, feel vulnerable. Worry for Kakashi clenched her heart, made her stomach tie in uncomfortable knots.

Suddenly, Kakashi's words from before came to mind, the words he'd spoken to her after she'd told him that she couldn't bear to lose him again.

_"I'll try my hardest, so don't worry about it, Hinata."_

Hinata closed her eyes before breathing in deeply.

'_That's right. I have to trust Kakashi.'_

Her eyes snapped open when the lobby door banged open. Out walked an exhausted-looking Sakura-chan, a clipboard held loosely in her hand. She waved to Hinata with a smile on her face and told her to follow her. Hinata nodded and made her way in, a simple sentence ringing in her mind.

'_I miss you, Kakashi.'_

* * *

Naruto looked around the room blearily. He lifted an arm weakly only to find that it was bandaged heavily. He grimaced, remembering the slash to his arm was from Sasuke's katana. He looked down at his body and wasn't surprised that it was also covered in bandages. He winced when he saw that some of the bandages were being dyed a deep red. What use was the fox when it wouldn't even heal him?

The door opened quietly. Naruto instantly turned his head to look at his hospital guest, wondering who it was. The faint scent of lilacs permeated the air, mixed in with the sweet scent of Sakura-chan. Naruto grinned.

"Hey, Hinata!" He waved his uninjured hand enthusiastically.

Naruto was surprised to see a desolate expression on her face as she uttered a soft hello back. He cocked his head and wondered what was wrong with his friend. Behind the blue-haired girl, Sakura-chan sent him a confused shrug.

"How are you, Naruto?" asked Hinata quietly.

Naruto turned his attention back to Hinata and smiled brightly. "Great! My injuries will heal in no time! Soon, I'll be up and running." His smile widened. "This time with Sasuke!"

He was happy to see a genuine smile cross Hinata's face, no matter that it was a small one, smaller than the ones she always sent Kakashi-sensei…

Naruto's mouth dropped. _'Oh! She's wondering where's Kakashi-sensei is!' _Naruto scratched his cheek sheepishly. _'No wonder she's looking so horrible.'_ He eyed the beginnings of bags under her eyes and her paler than usual skin. _'I'm surprised she hasn't asked where he's at yet.'_

Not being able to bear watching his friend suffer, not when she had helped him so many times, he spoke. "I bet you're wondering where Kakashi-sensei's at, huh?"

Hinata's head jerked up suddenly and she focused her pearly eyes on his. There was such a hopeful look on her face that it hurt to look at her. He briefly wondered just how much she had missed Kakashi-sensei. Sakura-chan's face lit up in understanding and her eyes softened.

"Kakashi-sensei's tracking down that man we met when we were looking for Sasuke and Itachi. He wears an orange mask and has the Sharingan. He told us his name is Tobi, but in reality, he's Uchiha Madara."

Naruto heard Hinata gasp loudly. "Uchiha Madara?" she breathed out. "H-he fought the First Hokage years and years ago… How can he still be alive?"

From behind her, Sakura-chan spoke. "We don't know exactly, but it has something to deal with the Sharingan."

Hinata nodded. "I see." Her eyes suddenly widened. "B-but he's out there alone? Shouldn't we be sending him back up?"

Naruto's heart dropped. Of course that should be what they were doing, but…

"We can't because Danzo's dead," said a voice. Three heads turned to the window. Naruto wasn't surprised to see Sai crouching on the window sill. His dark eyes stared at his bandages for a moment before he spoke again. "Right now, we are wondering if Tsunade-sama will be able to resume her position as the Fifth Hokage. If she is able, then her first duty will be to send a back-up party for Kakashi-senpai." Sai tilted his head and smiled at Hinata. Naruto was surprised to see that it was one of his genuine ones. "So don't worry, Weirdo. Kakashi-senpai will be fine without us anyways."

Naruto slowly turned his head to look at Hinata and felt his breath catch in his throat. A brilliant smile was on her face, transforming her earlier hassled face into a beautiful sight. Her eyes were curved as a shiny tear fell down her cheek. Naruto briefly wondered when Hinata had become so beautiful.

"Thank you, Sai-san." She bowed her head and turned to Naruto with a bright look in her eyes. "I hope your wounds heal fully, Naruto." She turned around to face Sakura-chan, her long indigo hair swaying behind her. "D-do you think I can see Sasuke-san?"

Naruto inhaled sharply. _'Sasuke…'_

"Right now he should still be subdued with sleeping drugs, but it wouldn't hurt to peek in. I'll take you there, Hinata," said Sakura-chan with a small smile on her face.

Before the two could walk out the door, Naruto was up and out of his bed. He stumbled behind them clumsily and winced when he felt another wound reopening. An ominous feeling suddenly filled him. He looked up warily and felt a swift punch to his face.

"Ow! Sakura-chaann! How could you do that?!" He lifted his uninjured hand to cradle his new bruise. Behind him, he heard a snicker. Damn Sai.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, idiot! Your injuries just got finished healing! You have to rest to finish the rest of the work! Get back in bed NOW!"

Naruto eyed Sakura-chan's menacing glare and upheld fist cautiously before slowly making his way back to his bed. He didn't go quietly though. "Come on! I want to see Sasuke!"

"You can't, Naruto," said Sakura-chan in a quieter voice. Naruto swiftly turned to look at her. He inwardly flinched when he saw the pained expression on her face. "Your injuries are too new, too open. So, please, just stay here and heal up."

How could he still fight against her expression? He shut his eyes and made his way to the bed silently. "You're right. I'll heal as fast as I can, Sakura-chan. So… don't worry."

"Let's go, Hinata."

He watched them go quietly. _'I don't want to break any more promises to her.'_

* * *

Sasuke supposed that being given that sleeping drug had worked. He flexed the fingers in his left hand and was satisfied to see that they were fine, even after having three breaks in two fingers.

'_Broken fingers, huh…'_

He couldn't withhold the small feeling of guilt that rose in him. Even after all these years, he couldn't forget the look on her face when he broke her fingers or the coldness in her eyes when she started to fight him seriously.

Sasuke closed his eyes and placed his hands over them. He hadn't thought about _her_ in so long, too busy chasing after power to defeat his brother. In the end, even that had backfired on him. He'd killed his brother only to learn that his brother had been loyal to Konoha all along.

He grit his teeth in anger but held back the fury and rage that threatened to overwhelm him.

'_Killing Danzo was good enough,'_ he thought with vehemence. _'That Sharingan-stealing bastard.'_

Sasuke slowed his breathing and relaxed his body when he heard the soft scuffle of deliberate and slow footsteps. It was obviously two shinobi who wanted to make their presences known. A soft knocking at his door made him turn his head lazily.

The door opened and in walked two women, judging from their sweet scents. His eyes shut, he tried to ignore the sound of the two conversing quietly.

"Sasuke-kun's still sleeping, I suppose," said a familiar voice.

Sasuke's eyes almost opened, but he caught himself in time. _'So it's Sakura? The other one must be Ino or something.'_

"I'll stay here, then. I have nothing to do today, so I'll wait for him to wake up, Sakura-chan."

Sasuke was surprised to hear the softness in this person's voice. _'That rules out Ino, then. But it can't possibly be-'_ Sasuke felt his heart speed up slightly and cursed himself. _'If it _is_ her,_ _then it shouldn't matter anyways.'_

"Alright. I'll go back to check on Naruto. Goodbye, Hinata."

His heart leaped. It really was her.

The door closed quietly, signaling to him that Sakura had left, which left him alone… with her.

It was quiet, blissfully so, with her in the room. Sasuke knew that if it was any other female in the room, he'd have no way to enjoy the quiet, but with her… her calm quietness came naturally. It was one of the things he liked about her.

He inhaled and exhaled, trying to act natural. Almost instantly, he felt like slapping himself. He was Uchiha Sasuke, S-class traitor, and he was trying to act _natural _while a girl was in _his _room.

He didn't get a chance to further criticize himself when a soft voice spoke up.

"I know you're awake, Sasuke-san."

'_Damn.'_

Sasuke opened his eyes slowly and turned his head to look at her, not too sure if he could sit up with the wounds to his stomach. Damn Rasenshuriken.

"And how did you know that?" he asked in a low voice.

His face was emotionless when his eyes finally landed on her, but inwardly, he was shocked beyond belief. He didn't think that she could grow even more beautiful, but she had. Her indigo hair had gotten longer, much longer, and her form was now that of a woman's, even more so when she'd been younger. What Sasuke found the most interesting were her lavender-tinted Hyuuga eyes. Her soft eyes had always had that warmth to them, but now he could see the smallest hint of steel in them. It amazed him slightly.

'_So she's changed this much.'_

"Your heart sped up unnaturally and your chakra became agitated. It was easy to tell that you were awake the whole time."

'_She doesn't stutter anymore either,'_ he thought in wonder.

Deciding that he could endure the pain, he sat up and propped himself up against the bed. His eyes landed on her again. He blinked slowly when he saw that he could only see the fuzzy outline of her, but it quickly refocused. He exhaled in relief, before he quickly masked his emotions. He inwardly cursed; being back in Konoha was already changing him. Even with Team Hawk, he'd never showed his emotions so easily… but now… back in this familiar place with all these familiar people… his guard was falling so easily.

"Are you alright, Sasuke-san? How are you injuries?"

He stared into her pearly Hyuuga eyes before looking away. "I'm fine."

His eyes traveled down his body as he took in his bandaged state. _'It looks like this will take a few weeks to heal.'_ His eyes landed on his bandaged fingers. Involuntarily, they flickered to look at Hinata's hand before he quickly looked away. The familiar feeling of guilt pooled in his chest.

"My fingers healed a long time ago, Sasuke-san."

'_Damn, she noticed.'_ With the slight feeling of embarrassment came a bit of pride. Usually he was too fast to even catch, but she'd caught his gaze easily and he hadn't even noticed. _'It looks like she's improved as well. I wonder what it'd be like to fight her.'_

He forced that thought away as he took in her angelic features. Even with his honed control, fighting her wouldn't be an option. He didn't think he could land a hit on her without inwardly flinching in guilt. His thoughts made him smile slightly.

'_Even after all this time, I'm still too weak to fight her.'_

Sasuke supposed that sometimes… it was nice to have a constant in his life.

* * *

Hinata walked out of Sasuke's room with a sense of relief in her chest. _'He hasn't changed too much.'_

When she'd first entered his room, she'd feared that maybe... just maybe, he'd be like the Sasuke in her dream. But her dream had been just a dream. Sasuke was a bit quieter, yes, a bit darker, yes, but not blood-thirsty, not at all. She smiled when she recalled the smallest hint of guilt in his eyes when he'd looked at her hand.

_'Maybe... having Sasuke back will be a good thing. He'll do fine, what with Naruto and Sakura-chan as teammates.'_ Hinata's smile widened at the thought of Team 7 getting back together again. Her smile faltered when she thought of their missing jounin. _'Kakashi... Please hurry back safely.'_

Hinata turned her head when she heard the familiar buzzing of Shino-kun's kikai. "Hello, Shino-kun."

Shino-kun nodded at her, his sunglasses glinting from the hospital lights. Hinata tilted her head curiously, a question in her eyes. Her teammate's stoic figure betrayed no reason for his coming here, but Hinata grinned when he suddenly swiveled around. Out limped Naruto from around the hallway.

"So you are back, Naruto," said Shino-kun in a calm voice. Hinata smiled at the detached tone in his voice, sensing the smallest hint of warmth and relief in them.

Naruto's azure eyes lit up. "Hey, Shino! Yeah, I'm back. So's Sasuke!" He grinned cheesily.

Her teammate nodded. "I see. So you succeeded in your mission after all. I wish that I could have helped."

Naruto's grin widened. "Thanks, Shino. We still managed to get him anyways, but I think sending your team as back-up for Kakashi sounds like a good idea. Now, if only Tsunade-obaa-san would..." His eyes dropped and his voice faltered.

Hinata watched on confusedly. Didn't he know?

"Tsunade-sama woke up from her coma two days ago, Naruto," informed Shino-kun.

Naruto shot up. "What?! How come Sakura-chan didn't tell me!? Oh, man! I gotta talk to her!"

Hinata decided that this was a good time to speak up. "Naruto... Tsunade-sama was in a coma for a month and half. She still needs to recuperate her unused limbs and chakra. Plus, with her age... we don't know if she'll still be able to be Hokage." It didn't matter how much she wished that Tsunade-sama would become Hokage, her health was first priority.

Naruto's eyes darkened but his lips set into a firm line. "I'm sure that seeing my face will brighten her up. Plus, I gotta apologize for breaking her necklace. So could you guys tell me where she's at? I'm still going to go to her anyways, but with your help I'm sure it'd be easier."

Hinata smiled softly at the determination in his face and voice, despite the painful injuries he had.

"Tsunade-sama is at the Hokage's mansion recuperating. I shall take you there," said Shino-kun.

"I'll go with you two," said Hinata quickly. "I... I need to ask her something."

"Great!" Naruto grinned. "Let's head out!"

* * *

"This probably isn't the greatest idea," muttered Shino.

Beside him, Hinata nodded. Naruto just grinned brightly.

"No, it's not. But it works. Let's go."

Shino withheld his sigh and just decided to follow Naruto's plan. He held out his hands and spoke a single word.

"Spread."

Immediately the air started to fill with his kikai bugs, clouding the air as effectively as a smoke bomb. Beside him, Hinata had her byakugan activated and was scanning the area.

"All the guards are preoccupied with fighting your insects, Shino-kun. Now we need to split up."

He nodded and distanced himself from her. Swiftly exchanging information with one of his bugs, he climbed in through an open window silently. He eyed the empty hallway before sending a few of his kikai down both sides.

Shino put his hands into his pocket and stuck his feet to the ceiling, effectively giving him an advantage against any surprise attacks. Now the only thing to do was wait for Hinata and Naruto's infiltration.

* * *

Hinata flipped backward to avoid the barrage of kunai and swiftly made a seal. Five Hinata's popped into existence.

"Halt! You are trespassing on the Fifth Hokage's property!" yelled one of the ANBU guards.

Hinata just smiled and made a few handseals, along with her other kage bunshin. "Katon: Hosenka no jutsu," she muttered.

The ANBU swiftly dodged her and her clones's massive fireball attacks. By the time he'd evaded them all, she'd disappeared.

"Shit," she heard him mutter as she sneakily slipped into a third-floor window.

* * *

"Kage bunshin no jutsu!"

Hundreds of bandage-covered Naruto's appeared on the roof. They immediately jumped and pounced on the two ANBU, quickly overwhelming them.

"Suckers!" yelled Naruto as he jumped through a hole he'd conveniently made in the roof. He grinned as he remembered his early years of pranking. _'Ahh, those were some good days!'_

_

* * *

_Tsunade jumped up shakily when she heard the sounds of explosions. "What the hell was that?" she mumbled.

Her assistant, Shizune, grabbed her arm when she swayed on her feet. "Please, Tsunade-sama, sit down. Whatever it is, the ANBU will quickly take care of-"

The door to her room suddenly banged open and orange flooded her sight. "YO, TSUNADE-BAA-CHAN!"

Tsunade definitely felt a headache coming along.

"Shizune, I want my secret stash of sake. Now."

* * *

"So you guys are telling me that Kakashi's chasing after Uchiha Madara _alone_?" asked the Godaime Hokage incredulously.

Hinata nodded her head along with Shino-kun and Naruto.

The Hokage sighed and took a swig from her cup of... tea. A frown instantly furrowed her face. "Damn it, Shizune. I told you I wanted my sake!"

The black-haired woman shook her head serenely. "You see, Tsunade-sama, all your secret stashes were destroyed in the attack of Konoha."

"What?!" yelled the blonde-haired woman angrily. Hinata quickly ducked the flying table that was suddenly sent flying her way. "Damn you, Pein!"

Tsunade-sama leaned back into her seat as an ominous aura started feeling the room. Hinata didn't know whether to be slightly scared at the suddenly angry woman or laugh herself to tears from the woman's crazed reaction.

"Anyways, Tsunade-obaa-chan, we need you to send out a team to help Kaka-"

"No," came the flat reply.

"What?" she asked, a slight hint of anger in her voice.

All eyes turned to look at her. Hinata bit back the sudden blush that threatened to overtake her cheeks and looked at the Hokage defiantly.

"Why won't you send out a team to help Kakashi?"

A lazy grin spread across the blonde-haired, busty woman's lips. Hinata withheld a shiver at the sudden predatory look in the Hokage's eyes.

"Kakashi, eh?" she asked slyly as she reclined back in her couch. "I'm not sure what this has to do with you anyways, Hinata... unless _Kakashi_ isn't just a sensei to you. Not that I care, actually."

This time she couldn't help the blush that colored her cheeks. "I-I... H-he..." she stuttered.

A loud laugh came from the Hokage, her chest heaving mightily. Everyone in the room turned to look at her, strange expressions on their face. Hinata felt her cheeks redden even more at the woman's obvious amusement at her embarrassment.

The woman's loud laughs gradually turned into low snickers as she held her hand to her forehead. By the time she had finally calmed down, Hinata felt like her cheeks would ignite at any moment.

"Good Kami, I haven't had such a good laugh in such a long time. And usually they're at Shizune's expense, heh heh."

Hinata was slightly appeased to see a small blush color the black-haired woman's cheeks.

"Anyways, back to the subject, _Kakashi_," the woman couldn't resist sending an amused look at her, noted Hinata dully, "will be immediately recalled. Madara is a space/time specialist. Obviously tracking him down will be highly difficult. With just one tracker, we won't possibly find him."

From her left, Naruto spoke up loudly. "But how will we find him then?!"

Tsunade-sama looked him straight in the eyes. "When his actions become obvious or when he wants to be found. That will probably be a possible event soon, now that we've got Sasuke in custody."

"I see," murmured Shino-kun from her right. "Who will be the one to inform Kakashi-san?"

A light hope filled Hinata's heart as the Hokage contemplated this. It was instantly shot down by the Hokage's words.

"Inuzuka Tsume and her partner, Kuromaru. Those two are our best bet to find Kakashi. Having too large of a number might alert Madara to them, so we can't afford to send out a whole team. Now," said Tsunade-sama as she glared down at them. "Get out of my house. Oh, and Shino, I'm assigning you an A-rank mission, effective immediately."

A raised eyebrow was Shino-kun's only indication of surprise. "Yes?"

With a slight smirk on the woman's lips, she spoke. "Get me ten bottles of sake. You've got an hour. Move out now!"

All three shinobi quickly vacated the area, but not before Hinata heard Tsunade-sama ask Shizune-san a question.

"We need to have a festival soon, Shizune! Those ten bottles won't last me long and sake's always half-off during those things!"

A grumbled sigh was the only response Hinata heard. She giggled into her hand and shook her head when the two boys turned to look at her curiously.

"We might be having a festival soon," she informed them.

The trio landed on a rooftop a few blocks away from the Hokage's mansion.

"She probably just wants the sake," snorted Naruto.

Hinata smiled, a giddy feeling starting to form in her chest. She felt like she could just dance around right now.

A soft grumble from her teammate made her look at him curiously.

"How am I supposed to get sake? I am only sixteen," he muttered forlornly.

Hinata laughed lightly, feeling like she was going to burst with happiness.

_'Kakashi's coming back!'_

* * *

Sooo, what'd you guys think? I do hope you guys liked it, even with the absence of KakaHina fluff, lol. There'll be lots of that in the next chapter though, don't worry! Speaking of that, the next chapter will probably be the LAST chapter. I really believe that I'm finished with this story.

Anyways, to those of you who were wondering where Sasuke went, I did too, lol. I totally forgot about him. I suppose that I was concentrating so much on developing Kakashi and Hinata's relationship that I totally just... forgot. Ah well, he wasn't supposed to play a large part anyways, just add a bit of interest or whatever. I hope that the Sasuke in this chapter wasn't too OOC, but I think that I interpreted his character pretty well. Now... about his team... well, let's just say they all separated.

I'm really looking forward to writing another KakaHina multi-chapter fic, though. That's why I'm really trying to wrap **A Different Story** up as well as possible.

Thanks to everyone who's stuck through with me and endured through my writing. Your reviews really made me a happy person :)


	23. Festival Festivities

This is it, you guys. We are now reaching the last chapter of **A Different Story.** Wow, amazing stuff does happen, huh? LOL.

Well, I'm seriously glad that I managed to finish this before school started for me. If I had had to write this fic in between school and such, I doubt such quick updates would have happened. Heh.

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Please excuse any mistakes if you see any. My eyes are exhausted after their long day of writing. It is 2 in the morning and I think a good, long sleep is in order to restore them to full-capacity.

I hope you guys like this last chapter of mine :)

Oh, and thank you to all my wonderful reviewers. I love you all, seriously.

* * *

Sasuke looked distastefully at the brightly-colored sweets in Sakura's hands. Just how in the world could she stand to eat all that sugar? He snorted when she tentatively offered a few pieces to him and turned his head to refuse.

Ignoring the hurt look on the girl's face, he focused his energy on finding Hinata. Really, where was she? They'd made plans to go to the festival together. Just as friends, of course.

'_As friends. Tch.'_

Sasuke stuffed his hands into his new pair of black pants and walked down the crowded street, ignoring the surprised looks on the villagers' faces. Seeing an empty alley, he slipped into it and relished the cool darkness it provided for him. The bright lights of the festival lanterns and such were much too blinding for him. He leaned against the cool wood, letting his mind wander.

Involuntarily, they wandered to the quiet Hyuuga girl. Sasuke stifled a sigh as he ran through random images of her in his mind. Her laughing, her smiling softly at some snide remark of his, her blushing slightly when he complimented her cooking… These past two weeks had been a refreshing experience for him, spending it all with the beautiful Hyuuga ex-heiress. He'd learned so many things about her, so many… How she enjoyed training and working hard, how she loved cinnamon buns (much to his distaste) how she… didn't like that blonde idiot quite as much anymore.

Every time he thought of her now absent blushing face when talking to the dobe, hope would fill him up crazily, would make him wish that… maybe she would now turn her attention to him… and only him.

Sasuke released his sigh and ran a hand through his black bangs. No, that wouldn't happen, ever. Her absent blushes whenever he casually mentioned the dobe's name were obvious, but even more obvious were the faint pink hues on her face whenever he spoke of Kakashi… He hadn't missed them, those blushes at just the mere mention of his former sensei's name, the slight dimming of her eyes when he spoke of how long it was taking Kakashi to return… the fond smiles on her face when she spoke of him, that irresponsible, perverted sensei of his.

It seemed like his former sensei had played a large part in her now, more confident steps, and her friendly, just friendly talks, with Naruto.

Sasuke clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging deeply into his palms.

It looked like he'd missed his chance… his chance with _her_.

But then again… Kakashi had always had her, so it wasn't really fair. And really… as much as Sasuke didn't want to admit it… he _liked_ seeing that smile of hers that crossed her face whenever there was talk of the infamous Copy Nin swirling about.

Sasuke slinked out of the alley warily and made sure to avoid letting light hit his skin (fangirls had an uncanny sense when they saw flashes of pale skin) and decided to cool off in a training area. The image of a pole with spiky silver hair appeared briefly before Sasuke could control himself.

'_Oh no… I think I saw pink hair.'_

Doubling his pace, he set off at a furious speed and ignored the faint yells of "Come back, Sasuke-kun!"

* * *

Three blurs raced through the trees, stepping lightly, leaving no trail behind. It was a perfected art of these three talented trackers. As they neared their destination, the sounds of loud cheering and excited chatter reached their finely honed ears. The two humans of the group shared a look and increased their speed.

"You think we'll make it?" growled the woman through gritted teeth.

Kakashi nodded. "It looks like they've just started."

The woman's face broke into a feral grin. "Can't believe the Hokage actually organized a festival. I can't wait to get my hands on that sake!"

A small smile flitted across Kakashi's masked face, but it quickly disappeared. Really, sake sounded great, but… he didn't think he could handle it, another moment… without seeing _her._

This past mission of his had been grueling, very much so. Tracking down Madara had been no easy feat; he had barely managed to track his movements half the time, only just managing to find his location using clever tricks. And sending off two of his former students alone with Tenzou had been difficult, made even more so when both of them were laced with multiple battle wounds. Leaving them had been harder than he would have ever thought, but none of that topped the pain that wracked through his body when… he thought of her. Going for so many weeks without seeing her face when he hadn't even given her a proper goodbye… It had been so hard, so damn painful.

Kakashi's pace quickened, barely noticeable. Nothing ever escaped Tsume's sharp eyes, though. A sly grin crossed the wild woman's face, but she kept quiet when she received a warning look from her partner, Kuromaru.

He resisted the urge to break out into a furious sprint when he caught sight of the village's newly erected village walls. Forcing his heart to stop pounding so loudly (he had a suspicious feeling that Tsume could hear it, if the gleam in her eyes was anything to go by), he handed the scroll to the unfortunate pair of Chuunin that were guarding the village entrance.

"You're clear. Go on through," mumbled Kotetsu. He handed back the scroll tiredly. "And have a great time at the festival, something that we're not doi- OUCH!"

Kakashi eyed the Chuunin pair oddly. Izumo sent an innocent smile his way. "Please go on in, Kakashi-senpai, Tsume-sama."

He had already waved a goodbye to Tsume and Kuromaru when he heard the distinct sound of Izumo's voice. "It's because of that stupid stunt you pulled that Tsunade-sama made us do this!"

Chuckling lowly to himself when he heard the tell-tale sound of someone's head being smacked, he made his way through the village. As Kakashi walked, he marveled at how fast the villagers had rebuilt the buildings. Konoha looked almost like its former glory, if one ignored the empty patches of flat land here and there. The festival decorations and general cheer around the village also made it seem a bit more… happier? Kakashi smiled when he saw kids running around with sweets in their hands, but it instantly faltered when he saw one of them clutching a stick of dango in their hand. His heart clenched uncomfortably as memories of him and Hinata eating dango came to mind.

Deciding to turn in for the night, he turned away from the festival stands and activities… only to be faced with an unfamiliar sight.

'_Ah. right. I don't have an apartment.'_

Kakashi ran a hand through his hair before deciding that a visit to the Hokage was in order to get a new apartment. He pursed his lips when he remembered the time of night and _why_ the Hokage would even consider doing a festival. He decided that talking to her would be more beneficial tomorrow morning when she was more… sober.

Now faced with no apartment to turn to, no desire to join in with the celebrating villagers, and no one he particularly wanted to talk to (a swift pang to his heart suggested otherwise), Kakashi quickly made his way out of the middle of Konoha and headed to his most visited spot… and their usual meeting place.

Squashing down the hope that had sneakily built up in his chest, he told himself that seeing her there was impossible; she was probably playing merry games in the festival and chatting happily with her friends. With her… _Naruto-kun._

Ignoring the flame of jealousy that burned intensely in his chest, Kakashi walked down the familiar path to the memorial stone, fully intending on wasting away his night there.

* * *

It was a beautiful night. The stars were twinkling brightly, the wind was blowing lightly, and the loud sounds from the festival could be heard in the distance.

Hinata sighed. It was too beautiful, too cheery, too… much for her. Not when _he_ wasn't there, not there with her, walking down the crowded streets, enjoying the festival with her. It didn't feel right, not when the two of them had enjoyed so many festivals, _together_. To go now, without him…

'_Sorry, Sasuke-san.'_

Hinata looked at the memorial stone before shifting uncomfortably in her loose kimono, not liking the way it flowed around her. It restricted her movements immensely, something that, as a proper shinobi, couldn't be tolerated. Her ninja paranoia was making her jumpy, too jumpy. She'd already lost three kunai from reacting too violently to the random rustling of the trees' leaves. She kind of wished she hadn't worn it, but… it had been a birthday present from Kurenai-sensei, and seeing as there was a festival, she had seen this as a perfect chance to wear it.

She patted down her sleeve slowly. This kimono had one saving grace at least—it allowed her to hide multiple weapons in its loose folds. And, as she ran her fingers down the soft cloth, she decided that it was quite pretty, what with the dark blue print and light cloud puffs along the bottom of it. The pink sash was a bit… much though.

A rustling of leaves made Hinata tense up slightly. She relaxed and casually reached a hand up to her pat her twisted bun, grabbing a hidden senbon while doing so. A figure stepped out of the trees and walked gracefully to her. Hinata relaxed her hold on the senbon when she realized that the person was making their footsteps deliberately loud in an attempt to alert her to their presence. They weren't here to attack, not yet at least.

Keeping this in mind, Hinata folded her hands neatly in the sleeves of her kimono and waited for the person to approach her. When the light from the moon shined on silver spikes, Hinata gasped in shock.

'_I-it can't be…'_

"Kakashi?" she whispered.

The person stepped closer, allowing her sharp eyes to see the black mask, the dusty uniform, the… orange book.

"Yo, Hinata." This was said in a casual tone, but as Hinata stared into his dark, piercing eye, she saw an intense look in them, different from his usual lazy stare.

Hinata gripped her kimono sleeves tightly, not sure if she could speak. Their gazes locked and no one looked away. They stared at each other for what seemed like ages before Hinata's mouth finally started functioning again.

"Y-you're back?" she asked quietly, cursing her stutter.

A gloved hand rose to run through unruly silver hair. "Yes, just got in a few minutes ago, actually."

Hinata didn't answer, didn't say anything. She just looked at him, looked at him and took in everything, every little detail she had missed dearly during these two, long, painful months. Her eyes took in the way his silver bangs fell over his lopsided forehead protector, the way his body looked as he relaxed into his comfortable standing position—hands in pocket, back slouched, yet still ready for any threat or attack. Her eyes lingered on his vest (she blushed slightly as she remembered that it had sheltered her from perverted looks but had drawn other, more disturbing, looks in the process), and she stared at the creases in his black mask, mentally going through the image of Kakashi's face in her mind and where the creases were, checking to see where they corresponded. And… and… She gazed into his dark charcoal eye, memorizing the way his eyelashes curved, the way his eye smiled at her, not having to curve or crinkle, just look at her and glint playfully.

"Kakashi…" she murmured, lifting her hands to clasp tightly at her chest, trying to control the way her heart was now beating madly, uncontrollably.

His head tilted. "Yeah?"

"I..."

Hinata looked away, a blush coloring her cheeks, and turned her gaze on a solid branch that's leaves were swaying lightly with the wind. She stared at it before narrowing her eyes and speaking again.

"I... missed you," she said quietly. A blush burned its way to her cheeks, flushed the pink away, and replaced it with a deep red.

"I missed you too."

Hinata's head whipped around to stare at him. Her mouth opened in shock as she replayed his words, not too sure if she had imagined it or not. But... for what reason would he _not_ miss her? Were they not friends? Equals? Best friends?

And... for some reason... her heart thudded painfully.

* * *

Kakashi was amused to see Hinata staring at him, looking at him with an intense look in her beautiful, pearly Hyuuga eyes.

"Kakashi..."

He tilted his head curiously, wondering why a starry look had crossed the girl's face. "Yeah?"

"I..." She turned her face away for some strange reason and seemed to glare at a tree branch before breathing in deeply. Kakashi eyed her carefully, curious about her strange behavior. "I... missed you."

To say Kakashi was shocked would be like saying Gai was only slightly loud and not overenthusiastic at all. He was beyond shocked, beyond words. But... as he saw the blush that was dyeing Hinata's pale cheeks a robust red, he felt his lips move before he could stop them.

"I missed you too."

Wincing when she turned her head so sharply that her bun slipped loose, letting a few strands of inky indigo hair escape it, he fingered the orange book in his back pocket nervously, searching for some reassurance from her deeply shocked face.

For some strange reason, the girl's face suddenly dropped; a depressed look replaced her shock and settled in, dimming her luminescent eyes and shadowing her pale features. For some strange reason, his hand involuntarily lifted and he took a step closer.

"What's wrong?" he found himself asking.

Hinata's face lowered and she shook her head. "Nothing," she murmured. Her bangs escaped the clip that had been keeping them clipped to the side and covered her forehead, neatly concealing her eyes.

Despite her solid answer and firm voice, his feet wouldn't obey his brain's commands and continued to step closer and closer to the girl. Before he knew it, he was standing directly in front of her, barely a foot of air separating them. From their close proximity, he could now see the tears that were glimmering in the girl's eyes.

Fear filled him, horror flooded him, shock descended upon him.

_'She's crying?!'_

He hated seeing women crying, hated seeing them display their weakness and feelings for all the world to see, but most of all, he hated feeling that weakness in his heart that always filled him when he saw them, those stupid tears. And when they were _her _tears, _her_ misery, _her_ sadness... Kakashi licked his lips dryly.

"W-why are you crying?" He hated that his voice broke, hated that his heart was pounding faster, ever-so-slightly.

Hinata's pale hand went up to her cheek and wiped away a tear that had escaped her eye. "I'm not."

Resisting the urge to laugh at her obvious lie, he instead placed a hand under her chin and lifted her face so he could look directly into her eyes.

"Why are you crying?" he repeated.

Hinata's eyes shut tightly before she answered lightly, in a quiet tone. "Because... we're friends."

Kakashi took in her answer and felt confusion settle itself across his features. Releasing his hold on her chin, he placed his hand on his head and ruffled his hair confusedly.

_'What?'_

"J-just friends."

A dark blush crossed Hinata's face before she turned around, hiding her face, hiding it all. Kakashi stared at her back in shock, taking in her words and modifying it to fit in his mind.

_'Just friends, she says? What does she me-'_ Kakashi's eye widened. He felt his heart start to pound a bit faster, a bit louder.

And again, he felt his lips move without his permission.

* * *

"J-just friends."

Hinata bit her lip and turned around, feeling a blush flame across her face. She covered it with her cool hands, hoping that it would bring down the heat. _'I can't believe I said that!'_

There was no denying the fact that... she had let it out, let the fears that had been plaguing her... slip. Tears had suddenly filled her eyes when that thought hit her. The fact that... they were just friends... just close friends... It _hurt_ because...

She loved him.

She loved his spiky hair, loved his mischievous grins, his calm speech, his old-man talk, his lean muscular body, his sexy smirks, his teasing, his laughs, his everything!

It didn't matter that there was a massive age gap between them, it didn't matter that none of her friends would approve, it didn't matter that he probably didn't feel the same way... She just _did._ Just loved him.

Feeling tears start to flood her eyes, she covered her face in her hands and let them fall, let them escape her eyes. Because... because her and Kakashi were just... teacher and student. Just man and teenage girl. Just equals. Friends.

And then Kakashi started speaking, started saying things that shocked her, made her... start to hope.

"You are my closest friend since Obito died," he said in his typical calm voice, unperturbed by nothing. "You know more about me than anyone else. And... I guess I know a lot about you too." He was quiet for a second. Hinata heard the faintest sound of a hand shuffling through hair. "I know that you blush when you're complimented. I know that you always give it your all, never giving up, never backing down. I know that you love cinnamon buns, love the feel of air rushing against your face, love cooking..." Hinata felt a blush start to color her cheeks. Just what was Kakashi getting at? "I know that you're beautiful,_ too_ beautiful sometimes." Her heart was pounding faster, she knew it. Why was he saying this?

_'Why?'_ she wondered.

"You..." A hand grasped her shoulder and pulled her around gently. Hinata turned around and slowly lifted her head to look at him. She blushed when he wiped away a few of her tears with his thumb. Hinata decided that she liked the feel of his rough fingers against her skin. "You're beautiful when you blush, when you laugh, when you smile... Hinata."

His dark eye pierced through hers. Hinata couldn't help herself, couldn't help the way her heart was beating entirely too fast, pumping way too much blood. Kakashi's eye crinkled when she gasped when he casually brushed away her bangs with his fingers.

"Hinata. It's wrong to say this, but I'll say it anyways." His eye gazed into hers, serious, light, _warm_. "I..." And then he looked away, his lips pursed underneath his mask. Hinata couldn't withhold the giggles that escaped her lips when she saw the lightest hint of pink on what was visible of his cheek. He turned to her when he heard her giggle and looked at her sternly before rolling his eye and smiling at her.

It was that smile that did her in, that familiar curve of his eye, that familiar hint of laughter in his dark, charcoal eye. That eye that always made her heart leap, made it jump, made it... flutter pleasantly.

"I love you."

The words escaped her lips, mixed with air, and reached his ears. When they did, his eye widened and his eyebrow disappeared underneath his forehead protector. Hinata only smiled at his reaction. Taking a light step backward, she looked up and stared at the twinkling stars and the dark blanket they rested on.

"I know you probably don't feel the same, b-but..." Hinata felt her blush that had receded return, felt it light up her cheeks. She looked at the sky fiercely and willed it away, to no avail. She sighed before looking down and looking directly at Kakashi. Before instantly lowering her gaze to his vest. She couldn't face his dark eye, not right now, not when she was spilling these... feelings of hers. "I love you... Kakashi."

Finally finding the courage to face him, face his dark gaze, she looked at him. She was utterly disappointed to see his eye frowning and staring pointedly at something behind her shoulder.

_'I guess... it shocked him.' _Hinata sighed. _'Of course it would... a confession from a teenager.'_

The loud sound of a person being slapped reached Hinata's ears, effectively distracting her from her depressing thoughts. She looked up sharply and was surprised to see Kakashi pull his hand away from his face, a pained look in his eye. He looked at her, his eye curving into a smile.

"I was about to grin stupidly so I had to slap myself," he explained in a sheepish tone.

Hinata took in his explanation with a hushed breath, feeling hope start to light its way to her heart. _'W-what does he mean?'_

"Hinata." She looked up into his dark charcoal eye and immediately blushed at the intense way his eye stared into hers, all laughing and teasing gone from his face. "I lo-"

_Crack! Boom! Pssstooom!_

Hinata jumped up, breaking their intense gaze, and turned her attention to the sound of the noise. From the corner of her eyes, she saw Kakashi frown dangerously as he too turned to look. Hinata's eyes traveled upward before she gasped lightly.

"Fireworks!" she breathed out happily.

An array of color and sparks spilled over the inky dark sky, filling it with color and cheer. Flashes of green, red, blue, everything, was coloring the sky. A few loud cracks would explode through the air, making the shinobi wince and grip their kunai tightly, before the sky would flash brightly.

Hinata smiled at the display, loving the way Hanabi's namesake filled the night sky, the stars all paling in comparison to this loud and brief wonder. She jumped when a hand landed on her shoulder lightly. Her pale eyes met Kakashi's dark one and he smiled at her. Very lightly, he placed another hand on her other shoulder, effectively making them face each other. Hinata felt her cheeks start to heat up dangerously as her heart pounded painfully, thrummed in her chest, threatened to escape her rib cage.

As the sound of another bang went up and another firecracker colored the sky, Kakashi slyly leaned his head in. Hinata blushed when she felt his warm breath tickling her right cheek, suspiciously close to her ear. The lights of the latest firecracker flickered downward before disappearing. Hinata only vaguely took this in, too shocked from the way Kakashi's breath felt sinful against her neck, from the way the heat from his mask brushed against her cheek ever-so-lightly.

Another firecracker exploded, filling the sky with its bright array of color. Hinata's eyes widened when she heard Kakashi start to speak, heard his words...

_"I love you too, Hinata."_

And suddenly the fireworks display didn't matter anymore, didn't occupy any part of her mind or sight. All that mattered was Kakashi pressing her against his solid frame, his strong arms crushing her against him, his masked chin on top of her head. All that mattered was the scent of pine and something deeply masculine that only Kakashi possessed.

All that mattered was the two of them, underneath the night sky, leaning into each other's warm embrace.

Hinata swore she could still feel the tingling heat on her forehead when Kakashi had ever-so-slyly brushed his masked lips against it when he'd dropped her off in front of Kurenai-sensei's apartment.

_'I can't wait until tomorrow,'_ she thought with a faint smile as she climbed into bed.

They'd made plans to meet each other at the dango shop tomorrow.

* * *

"Oi, is that _Kakashi_ and _Hinata_?" hissed Ino into Sakura's ear.

"What?"

Sakura looked up from her medical book before her jaw dropped.

"They're eating dango together," she whispered.

"Hmm? Hinata? With Kakashi? Cool." Naruto went back to his barbeque, uninterested in his sensei's love life. Well, for now anyways. His stomach was first priority right now.

"Ah, really?" mumbled Chouji through a mouthful of barbeque.

Ino screeched. "That's disgusting, Chouji! Eat with your mouth closed!"

Beside the blonde girl, Shikamaru opened and closed his chopsticks lazily. "Hinata and Kakashi? Hmm, Kurenai's going to be happy." He'd been on the receiving end on one of Kurenai's rants as well and knew the whole situation v_ery _well.

"Shit, they're finished," choked out Ino. Her eyes followed them closely before losing sight of them in the crowd.

"Your meat's getting cold, Beautiful."

Ino fluttered her eyes prettily. "Thank you, Sai. You're such a sweet g-Oh my god! They're holding hands!"

The table almost broke as Sakura stood up quickly. "What? Where!?" When her eyes finally caught sight of them, she squealed. "Oh my god, they are!"

"Uh, Sakura-chan? You might want to calm down. You're breaking the seat," commented Naruto nervously.

"Shut up, Naruto! This is serious business!" she snapped back.

"Sit down, Sakura."

"Ok, Sasuke-kun." Her green eyes focused on him fiercely though. "Aren't you guys interested in how those two are progressing though?"

Chouji coughed on his food. He gulped down some water before clacking his chopsticks noisily. "No."

Naruto folded his hands and closed his eyes contemplatively. "Not yet." He opened his eyes and cheerily dug into his food. Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Those two together? Not an uncommon occurence," muttered Shikamaru as he yawned into his hand.

Sakura and Ino glared at him. "Not holding hands, though! That definitely means they're a couple!"

"Shut up, you two," said Sasuke as he reached for his cup of water. He stole another glance at the pair holding hands before quickly looking away. "What those two do... isn't our business."

"Yeah, listen to what Blind-Ass says."

The table cracked under the rage of the two kunoichi.

"SAI!" yelled the two as they cracked their knuckles threateningly.

* * *

"Oi, Raidou. You see that?"

The scarred man turned his head lazily. "Hmm?"

Genma flicked his senbon to the left. "There. Look."

Noticing the awed stare on his friend's face, Raidou turned his head around curiously... only to have his eyes bug out.

"Oh no..." he murmured.

"Yeah, damn it." Genma chewed on his senbon furiously. "Tsunade-sama won the bet. Now we gotta pay up!"

"Damn it, Gen! Why'd you have to bet all our savings!?"

"Shut up! You think I expected this!? Whodda thought that Kakashi actually had it in him to get the girl before she was even legal?! Plus Tsunade never wins bets!"

Raidou grumbled to himself as he started calculating how much he could save before Tsunade actually found out. Out of the corner of his eyes, he caught the smiling face of the Hyuuga girl as she slipped her hand into Kakashi's.

Genma watched the show with a satisfied smirk.

_'Match made in heaven,'_ they both thought to themselves.

* * *

Round, circled eyes watched Kakashi tighten his grip around his beloved's delicate hand. The beautiful flower blushed a brilliant shade of burgandy as she smiled, looking as beautiful as a lake goddess.

Their watcher felt tears start to form in his eyes. Finally, at long last, his rival had found his special person! Gai felt like he could run a million laps around Konoha!

_'What a youthful endeavor! I must do this at on-'_

"Gai! I told you to wait in the lobby! What are you doing out here?"

_'That can wait for another day,'_ thought Gai as he took out the bouquet of flowers he had brought for his black-haired beauty.

* * *

Blocking a blow to his face, Kiba leaped over Shino's sweeping kick to deliver a crippling blow to the other's neck. As soon as he hit, the person's frame split into bugs. Kiba growled and spit.

"Damn it, Shino! Quit cheating!"

His teammate's cool voice from behind him made him jump slightly. How'd he get there so fast?

"It seems as if Hinata has picked her partner."

Kiba's eyes bugged out. "_What?_!" He turned to face Shino, shock written all over his face. "What the hell are you going on about this time, Shino?!"

Shino coolly regarded him as he let one of his insects fly off his finger. "My sources tell me that Hinata is currently on a 'date' with a certain 'Copy Nin' and is now happily walking down the streets 'hand-in-hand' with said 'Copy-Nin'."

Kiba felt his jaw drop in shock. _'What the hell?!'_ was his only comprehending thought.

"My thoughts exactly, Kiba."

* * *

Tsunade cackled happily as she watched the pair walk down the street hand-in-hand, ignoring all of the villagers' surprised stares. A malicious grin found its way to her lips as she thought of the nice and nifty sets of cash that would be finding their way to her bank account by this time tomorrow, if she had anything to do with it.

_'Good job, Hinata. Very good job.'_

* * *

Kurenai watched her young student smile brightly at, yet another, corny joke of Kakashi's with a proud look on her face. It looked like Hinata had gone for it, done it, won her love, won her happiness. Kurenai had nothing to do but be happy for her.

She rested a hand on her heavily swollen stomach and smiled when she felt her child kick her.

_'Asuma, everyone's growing so healthily.'_

She stood up, fully intent on leaving the cafe, when she felt something leak uncomfortably down her leg. Her companion for the day, Anko, gave her a worried look.

"What's wrong, Kurenai? You got diarrhea or something?"

Kurenai stared at the brash woman and spoke, fear laced with every word.

"I think my water broke."

"Oh shit."

_'Oh shit, indeed,' _thought Kurenai as Anko picked her up and started yelling obscenities at anyone and everyone that crossed their path. As Kurenai saw the white hospital building loom ever-closer, she could only think of her student's smiling face and could only see Asuma's face.

_'Asuma... I'm so happy. If only you were here right now.'_

"Hang on, Kurenai! I won't let you die on me!" yelled Anko before she lashed at a kid for blocking her way.

_'You'd be laughing hysterically.'_

* * *

**The End**

Oh my gahhh. This is the end you guys! I would cry if my eyes weren't so swollen. Oh man, you guys, it's freaking 2:03 in the MORNING! I'm so tired... But I worked diligently and managed to finish this chapter! So yay ME! :)

Soo, how was it? I don't know why but I'm really proud of this chapter. I dunno why, since I suck at romance in general (which is why there have only been hints of it through out this whole fic ;P), but I think I did pretty well on the "confession." What do you guys think?

Oh, and I decided to just finish it with the other characters' thoughts on their 'date.' Heh, hoped you guys enjoyed.

And, thank you to everyone who has reviewed, especially those who have reviewed my every chapter. I love you guys :)

Well, I do hope that everyone likes how this ends, and if you don't, quite frankly I'm too tired to care right now. Talk to me when I'm more awake... Like at 12 noon tomorr- err, later today.

**Thank you, you guys, for your support and love and... everything! ;)**


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